


A Day at Disneyland

by damerey_daydreamer



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, DameRey, Disneyland, F/M, Fluff, JediPilot, POV Alternating, PoeRey, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:09:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 28,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23735896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damerey_daydreamer/pseuds/damerey_daydreamer
Summary: Poe and Rey attend the opening day of the Rise of the Resistance ride at Disneyland.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Rey
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	1. If It Kills Me

**Author's Note:**

> Okay. I've been having serious Disneyland withdrawals since it closed down in March due to the Coronavirus. So, why not create a story of a Disneyland day for Poe and Rey? I mentally relived my experience of going to the opening of the new Star Wars ride, Rise of the Resistance, as well as my normal Disney days. I even watched youtube ride through videos of all the rides I put in the story. I really miss my monthly Disneyland visits and it's only been one month, guys. So much so, that the actual Disneyland portion of this story is nearly 17,000 words and had to be split into two chapters. When I thought of this idea, I thought it would only be a one-chapter thing. But then I had to add the setup, because I'm me. And then the Disneyland stuff got more and more specific and descriptive. I apologize in advance if you find this story way too wordy...I just couldn't stop.
> 
> Note: I do go into detail for the Rise of the Resistance ride. Having opened at Disneyland on January 17 and with the park closing on March 15, the ride was only open for two months (a little longer at Disney World), and I'm sure a lot of people haven't ridden it yet. So, if you're like Poe in this story (or my husband or brother) and you don't want any spoilers for the new ride, skip chapter 3 and head on over to chapter 4. I'll take out the whole Rise of the Resistance section from chapter 3. And if you don't care about spoilers or have already gone on the ride, you can read chapter 3 and end the story there! I hope I haven't made this sound more confusing...
> 
> Another note: I mention actual Star Wars sequel trilogy characters when Poe and Rey go to Galaxy's Edge and on the ride...the characters who share the same names as the characters of my story. So, when I mention the movie characters within this story, I refer to them by their actor's name (Rey is Daisy, Poe is Oscar, Finn is John, Kylo is Adam). I'm so sorry for making this confusing...
> 
> This is a re-imagining of the fic I wrote for the Jon Snow/Sansa Stark ship (found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23711266/chapters/56934313)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey plan and prepare for their day at Disneyland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was inspired by If It Kills Me by Jason Mraz (lyrics in the end notes)

##  **Poe**

“I have an idea. You should go with Rey,“ Finn told Poe firmly.

It was the monthly Solo Sunday dinner at Leia and Han’s house. Their kids, Finn and Rey, always came. As did Finn’s wife Rose and the newest edition to the family, one-year-old Paige. And Poe, of course.

When he had befriended Finn when they were little, the Solos welcomed him into their home for dinners, sleepovers, family events, even vacations. He fondly thought of himself as a stray who was lovingly taken in by them. And, since then, he was a part of the family. Of course, Poe was close to Finn, his best friend through all their years, almost like a brother. Han and Leia were basically a second set of parents and treated him like a son. Then there was Rey. Poe always felt awkward around her; he’d grow quieter when she was around, not wanting to say anything dumb in front of her. She was gorgeous and smart and way above his league; Poe knew that, but he always had a little crush on her. Not that anyone would know, considering they barely interacted, and when they did, it was brief and unnoteworthy. But the crush was always there (even when he lied to himself and denied the fact when he was in his long term relationship), and it had grown much stronger in the last six months after he had broken up with his girlfriend. Rey had a conveyor belt of boyfriends since she was allowed to date. When one relationship ended, another boy would be right there waiting, jumping at the chance to date her. Poe saw how the latest boyfriend treated her, and he knew he could be so much better; Poe would treat her like a queen like she deserved. When Rey finally broke up with that clown, she declared she’d be staying single for the time being, vowing to get to know herself without a boyfriend. Poe didn’t mind, he’d give her all the time she needed before he made any move. _Who are you kidding? Making a move on Rey Solo just might kill you_ , he would think whenever the idea popped into his head. So, there was Rey, finally living up the single life and seeming to fully enjoy it. And there was Poe, secretly pining away for her as ever.

That night, during their January family dinner, Rey was going on and on about wanting to go to Disneyland that coming Friday for the opening of the new Star Wars ride, Rise of the Resistance. While Finn and Rose (having annual passes like her) were excited about the new ride, they weren’t able to get out of work that coming Friday. Also, they didn’t share the extreme excitement Rey had to go specifically on opening day. 

Poe was definitely interested. He’d always been a massive fan of Star Wars since he watched the original trilogy as a four-year-old. Toy lightsabers became his favorite weapon of choice when he and Finn would play just about anything. While Finn would save his allowance for Marvel comics, Poe would buy Star Wars comic books. He’d go to each of the following six movie releases on their opening days, midnight showings if he was able to. They’d never be on the same level as the original trilogy ( _especially_ the prequels), but they were still entertaining, and he loved the Star Wars universe as a whole. When Galaxy’s Edge had opened at Disneyland the previous year, he had taken his then-girlfriend Zorii with him to check it out immediately. Even with the astounding realness of the land (not to mention the Millennium Falcon, which Poe stared at endlessly), the day hadn’t gone so great. Boredom and disinterest radiated off of Zorii the entire day, she didn’t bother to hide it, making the day a lot less magical than it could have been. Hearing how excellent this new ride was after it opened earlier at Disney World, Poe’s excitement and anticipation revved up again. Especially since there was no bored and disinterested girlfriend to drag down the day this time.

Poe would have no hesitation if a group of them would be going, but with just Rey alone, he was too nervous, so he didn’t say a word. She had already asked her friends that had annual passes or would be interested, none of them could get out of work either. She had a glimmer of hope when their friend Jannah thought she could go but then realized she had a meeting she couldn’t miss. Rey’s hopes were dashed. As he and Finn were busy throwing out the trash after dinner, Finn announced his idea.

“ _Me_?” Poe asked hesitantly.

“Yes, you. If you can get out of work for the day.“

“Why me?“

“For one, you absolutely love Star Wars and everything about it, so I know you’re interested. Secondly, you still have one more day on your two-day ticket from when we all went for Paige’s first birthday; might as well use it now. And lastly - I _know_ , Poe.“

“You know?“

“I know.“

“You know _what_ , Finn?“ Poe was getting tired of feeling confused and giving one or two-word questioning replies. Somehow, Finn sometimes brought it out of him, that smartass.

“I know you have a _thing_ for her. I’ve noticed it for like the past few months. The longing looks, the shy smiles you get around her. There seems to be a pull that makes you get physically closer to her, but not too close.“ Finn’s tone was very matter-of-fact.

Poe’s eyes were like a deer caught in the headlights as they stood by the trash cans along the side of the garage. He was glad it was dark enough that it hopefully hid the blush he just knew was tinting his cheeks. _I thought I’d been so careful._

“No one else knows, don’t worry,“ Finn reassured when he saw his expression. “But I am growing tired of keeping this secret. Just do something about it already, Dameron. Take her to Disneyland, be her knight in shining armor. Or, to use Star Wars terms, her Jedi knight with a shining lightsaber,“ he said, nudging Poe in the ribs with a corny chuckle.

“Finn, I don’t think she and I have ever been alone together for a significant amount of time. We don’t talk one-on-one a whole lot. And you’re suggesting I spend an entire day alone with her? What are we going to talk about? I’m not that interesting to her, I’m sure. She’s going to be bored and end up hating the day. Or I’m just going to make a fool of myself. What if the entire day is awkward?“ Poe worried.

“Okay, relax,“ Finn said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t need to be scared of my sister. Let’s offer the idea to her. If she’s into it, just go, have fun, and don’t worry about all that nonsense you just spewed out.“

“Easy for you to say,“ Poe mumbled as they turned to head back inside.

##  **Rey**

After dinner, Rey grabbed a seat on the couch between her dad and Rose. She loved their monthly family dinners. But tonight she was bummed about not being able to go to the opening day for Rise of the Resistance since no one who was interested was able to go. She knew it wouldn’t be the end of the world, she could try to be patient enough. But it just wouldn’t be the same; she wanted to be among the excited masses. Rey had already missed out on the opening day for Galaxy’s Edge back in May thanks to her ex, Kylo. He had suddenly decided he didn’t feel like going and guilt-tripped her into going to visit his awful college friends instead. So she had her hopes high that she could attend this opening, especially after hearing how amazing the ride was.

“Good news, Rey,“ Finn announced as he and Poe joined everyone in the living room. “Poe thinks he can get Friday off.“

“Really?“ Rey asked in joyful excitement, now perked up from her cozy spot on the couch and turning to look at Poe with wide, hopeful eyes. She thought she saw a flicker of nerves in his own eyes, but it quickly went away. Rey didn’t know why she hadn’t considered Poe as a viable option; maybe it was because they had never been close or really spent much one-on-one time together.

“Yeah, nothing important is going on that day. I can use a sick or vacation day or something,“ Poe answered with a shrug.

“Oh my God, Poe. You’d do that for me?“

“Sure. I mean, I really love Star Wars, and I’ve heard how amazing this ride is. Might as well go be with my people on its opening day,“ he nonchalantly replied.

Rey let out a happy little squeal. “Come here, let’s discuss our plan!“ She made room and patted the spot on the couch between her and Rose. Poe squeezed into the space and she curled her legs up, turning her body towards him. The gathered family went on with their own conversations or continued watching the Seahawks-Packers playoff game. The house was always loud on these family dinner nights, especially if there was football on. Somehow, it seemed to fade away as she sat so close to him that her knees brushed against his leg. “Alright. First, thank you so much for going with me. I really thought I was gonna miss out on opening day. And I know I could go any other day. I just really wanted to be a part of this. It’s silly, I know,“ she began to ramble.

“I totally get it, Rey,“ Poe laughed. Rey gave him an appreciative smile.

“So, I’ve been reading up on all the tips and tricks for this. I know we don’t technically need to be there super duper early in the morning. But I like to plan ahead for any possible speed bumps. I have no idea how long lines are gonna be to get into the park, how fast or slow those lines are gonna move when they open the gates, and we must have our tickets scanned into the park before 8:00. Ideally, I’d want to get there no later than 5:30 that morning. Would that be okay with you?” Rey grimaced as she finished the question, she felt horrible asking him to be awake and actually at the park so early in the morning. _He’s totally going to back out and I don’t blame him, why would he want to go along with your crazy planning?_

“Sounds good to me,“ Poe assured her with a smile.

“Ah, you’re amazing!“ she replied with happy relief. “Now. How do you feel about going there together? Or we could just meet up there, at Disneyland, if you want?“

“We could go together. Sounds easier.“

“Awesome! I could pick you up, or you could pick me up, Friday morning? Or, considering I live closer to the park, would you care to stay at my place Thursday night? That way, in case one of us sleeps in, we could wake the other up and then just head straight to the park from there.“ Her face looked unsure, wary that she was asking too much of him. And, for some reason, nervousness filled her.

“I can stay over, that seems like the best option,“ Poe answered.

“Perfect! Come on over any time after you get off of work on Thursday. Not too late - we’re gonna have an early bedtime!“ _Stop bossing him around, Rey!_

“Yes, ma’am,“ he smiled in response.

As they all left her parents’ house, Rey again thanked Poe and gave him a goodbye hug, a rare thing that only ever seemed to happen on birthdays and special events. 

As she drove home that night, she pondered on the feelings she felt within her. There was joy, of course. However, she suspected it didn’t solely have to do with being able to go to the opening day. And then there was the nervousness she had begun to feel as she planned with Poe. She chalked that up to never spending any real alone time with him in the two decades of knowing each other. She was probably just nervous about what they would talk about throughout the entire day, and that was that. The goodbye hug she randomly gave him brought a hint of something that she decidedly brushed past as she drove on.

##  **Poe**

As he watched Rey get into her car and drive off, he tried to hide his goofy lovestruck smile. Finn, the smartass with eagle eyes, saw it. As he walked past to get to his own vehicle with Rose and Paige, he teasingly whispered, “awww, her Jedi knight,” as he walked by. Poe gave him a glare as he entered his own car.

_Look what you’ve gotten yourself into. It’s going to be a lot of hours awake and alone with her, you fool_ , he thought as he drove home. He had surprised himself by keeping his nerves in check as much as he had, especially while being so close to her on the couch. There were a few times he had to tell himself to calm down. And it was a miracle he didn’t physically melt when she would give him her happy and excited smiles. _But she was adorable, asking if what she planned would be okay with me, almost like she was nervous about it_. Poe had known Rey for a long time; he knew how she loved to plan, how she preferred to be in control of things. He was always amazed by her determination, organization, and general preparation for most things in life. She was a planner, a doer, an achiever - and she was great at it. 

To ease his jitters as he tried to sleep that night, Poe reminded himself that this technically wouldn’t be the first time they’d be at Disneyland together - so it shouldn’t be a big deal. Granted, it was all the Solos, Rose, Paige, Jannah, and himself who went for Paige’s first birthday in December. Rose insisted on everyone coming to celebrate the milestone as well as the toddler’s first Disney trip. Even when Poe felt like it should just be the family, Rose informed him that Paige’s favorite Uncle Poe needed to be there as well. So he got the 2-day park hopper pass, figuring he’d use it a second time with them eventually. The day had been enjoyable and he was finally able to fully appreciate Galaxy’s Edge. Rey and Jannah would take off from time to time when their FastPasses would come up for the big rides. With that and him leaving in the afternoon with Finn and Rose when Paige began to have a bit of a tired meltdown, he didn’t spend a whole lot of time with Rey there. _So it is a big deal, you fool._

***

Thursday arrived quickly. Before he left his house to head to work, Poe spent way too much time packing a bag to stay the night at Rey’s and to spend the entire next day with her. _Since when have I ever cared this much about what I wear?_ he wondered. _Since you’re going to spend a shit ton of time alone with Rey Solo and you’re too scared to admit your feelings to her so maybe if you dress well and charm her enough, she’d get interested and make a move on you so you don’t have to do it yourself because you’re too chicken, Dameron_. Somehow, the long-winded answer took on Finn’s voice. He continued to put on his sharpest looking work suit, hoping Rey would approve of it when he showed up at her house later.

The workday went by really fast. With Poe's want to be around Rey combined with his nerves of being alone with her, he didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

##  **Rey**

After Sunday, a growing, delightful anxiousness bubbled low in Rey’s gut, a sensation she wasn’t entirely sure was completely Disney-related. 

By the time Thursday arrived, Rey had finished her to-do list for preparing for her overnight guest and their day together. With Poe on her mind, Rey became filled with the need to make a good impression. It felt important to her for some reason. She racked her brain for something good to cook for dinner and she suddenly remembered how much Poe loved her mom’s lasagna. So Rey bombarded Leia with text messages. She begged her mom for the secret recipe that Leia never shared with anyone because she loved that they all came crawling back to her when they craved that dish. Leia playfully denied each recipe request and when Rey reached her lunch break, she immediately called her mom and pleaded some more. Leia was quite curious as to why Rey needed to cook this specific meal for Poe so badly. Rey wrote it off as wanting to repay him for going with her and following along with all of her requests. Finally, her mom caved and sent her the recipe.

Rey had nothing left on her work schedule for the day, so she slipped out early and headed straight for the grocery store. Once she got home, she walked room to room, tidying up and making sure it all looked perfect. She then got to cooking, following the recipe to a T. At 5:30, she received a text from Poe, a smile growing on her face.

**_Poe_ **: Hey! I’m leaving work now and gonna head your way. I can pick up some dinner for the two of us, if you’d like? Just name the place.

Rey’s smile grew wider at his offer.

**_Rey_ **: Aww, thanks, but nope! I’ve already got dinner covered for us. Just head on down! And let me know when you get here, I’ll open the garage so you don’t have to try to find nearby street parking.

Rey absolutely loved where she lived, minus the parking situation. The house she rented on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach was long and narrow, a prevalent design for the area. But with it being only 250 feet from the beach, the street parking was hard to come by. She had lived there for five years, first with Jannah as a roommate until she moved to live with her boyfriend, and then alone for the past two years. She enjoyed every moment there. Not even Kylo could taint the place. And, thankfully, he didn’t stay over very much, insisting Rey stay at his cold, stylishly barren house instead. In his words, he didn’t like sand. _What an ass_ , Rey had thought after she finally dumped him and remembered his dislike for her wonderful home. Rey frequently had friends and family over for barbecues and beach days. Poe often came to those, but it was always with Finn at the very least. Now he would be there and it would just be the two of them. The nervous feeling started ramping up within her at the thought. Especially when her phone started ringing, announcing Poe’s arrival.

_Calm down, it’s just Poe, you’ve known him forever_ , she thought as she went out to the garage to meet him.

##  **Poe**

Poe pulled into the narrow street behind her house, garages lining both sides. The white door on Rey’s was slowly sliding open and she stepped out, waving him in to park next to her car.

“Hi, Poe!“ Her voice was cheery and sing-songy, her arms opened to invite him into a hug.

“Hey, Rey,“ Poe greeted her and entered her embrace. _I can definitely get used to these more frequent hugs_.

“Come on in, I hope you’re hungry!“

Poe grabbed his overnight bag and followed her inside. The delicious smell of homemade food hit him as they got closer to the kitchen.

“Mmmm. Whatever that is, it smells incredible,“ he stated.

“I remembered how much you’ve always loved my mom’s lasagna, so I begged her for the secret recipe,“ Rey smiled proudly. Poe was nearly floored by the sweet gesture - and by the fact that she knew what one of his favorite meals was. “You remember where the guestroom is, right? Go ahead and throw your things in there. The garlic bread is just about done, then we can eat!“

Poe climbed the stairs and entered the guestroom, just as neat and tidy as the rest of the house was. He put his bag down and turned to the mirror. Debating on whether he wanted to put on something much more comfortable than his suit, Poe decided against it, wanting to look handsome for Rey. As he smoothed out any wrinkles and made sure he looked presentable, he heard the oven timer go off. _Just act normal, don’t be awkward, this isn’t a date, just you and a Solo kid having a meal like you’ve had a thousand times before_ , he told himself as he left the room. _Yeah, but this Solo kid is Rey_.

Coming back down to join her, Poe found Rey placing the serving tray of garlic bread on the dining table. Next to it was a serving bowl filled with salad, bottles of different types of dressing, and the lasagna. There was even a small bowl with a tiny spoon filled with freshly grated parmesan cheese. The table was set perfectly, from the matching wooden serveware to the crisp white plates, bowls, and napkins. There was no doubt she was her mother’s daughter when it came to Rey’s knack for hosting.

“What would you like to drink? I have a few options,“ she offered, looking into her fridge.

“Just water will be great, I don’t want to get full off of anything except the food you made,” Poe smiled.

They settled into their places and loaded their plates. Poe didn’t think he could fall more head over heels for Rey until he took his first bite. He found it tasted just as amazing as Leia’s excellent cooking - maybe even better since it was Rey who made it specifically for him. He complimented and praised her relentlessly for it to her delighted giggles. They found themselves in relaxed conversation, discussing work and their current lives in general.

“You think it’s silly that I love Disneyland so much, don’t you?“ Rey asked with an unsure smile as they finished up their meal.

Poe let out a short laugh and gave her a reassuring smile. “Not even in the slightest. In fact, I find it endearing. Why would you think that?”

“Oh, I guess ‘cause it’s a bit childish. But I think we can all use a break from adulting from time to time, and that’s my break.” Rey gave a smile and shrugged.

“Totally agree.”

Suddenly, her smile faltered. “Also, Kylo thought it was silly. It was a miracle when I could even get him to go with me, but then, as soon as we were there, his attitude made it well known that he’d rather be anywhere else. I started going less and less often. So much so that once I dumped him back in August, I’ve been making up for my lost Disneyland time ever since!” Her smile was back at the mention of dumping that asshat Kylo and Poe couldn’t be happier to see her beautiful smile.

“Well, he’s an idiot. And I definitely don’t think you’re silly.“ Poe beamed at his response. _I wish you could see I’m so much better than him. And, if I may be so bold, better than all of your previous boyfriends as well_ , Poe thought.

Rey looked at the rather sizeable decorative clock hanging on the wall. “Oh! It’s almost bedtime! I’ve still gotta shower tonight so I don’t have to wake up even earlier tomorrow to do it. Go ahead and head on up to bed, I’m just gonna do a quick clean up down here.”

“No, no, no. You made dinner - an excellent one at that. I’ll do the cleaning. Go shower, I’ll handle things down here,“ Poe stated as he got to his feet.

Rey was opening her mouth to refuse his help but he just gave her a playfully stern look. “Fine,” she laughed and headed to the stairs. As Poe cleared their dirty dishes from the table, her head popped back out from behind the wall, her voice soft but sincere. “Thanks, Poe.” He smiled back at her and she disappeared behind the wall again. 

Finding the Tupperware, Poe packed up the leftovers and stored them neatly in the fridge. He washed the dishes, pots, pans, and utensils and did his best with loading the dishwasher in the most proper and organized way he could. Over the many years of dining in the Solo home, he learned from Leia that there’s an appropriate way of loading the dishwasher. If she really was like her mother in these areas, he knew there would be a chance Rey would come down and sort it the way she preferred. He wanted to make the best impression he could. After the dishes, he wiped down the counters, stovetop, and dining table. He gave the sink a quick wipe to finish it off. When he was happy with the results, he went upstairs, passing by the door to Rey’s bedroom. He gave it a longing look before stepping into his own room. _Calm down, Dameron_.

As he laid out his clothes for the following day, making sure things didn’t wrinkle too much, Rey’s voice came floating into the room. “Are you comfortable in here? Is there anything I can get you?” Rey stood in his doorway, her hair wet and wearing a rather short floral print robe, her gorgeous mile-long legs making their glorious appearance. Poe could sense a hint of nerves in her voice again.

“Everything’s perfect. I just need a towel for when I shower in the morning.“

“In the linen closet to the left of the bathroom door,“ she smiled. “What time do you plan on waking up?“

“Setting my alarm for 4:30. If I sleep through it, I give you permission to forcefully shake me until I wake up.”

“Deal,“ Rey laughed. “Good night, Poe.“

“Night, Rey. And, seriously, thank you so much for dinner. It was amazing.“

“My pleasure.“ With a last smile, she was gone and entering her own bedroom, a soft click sounded when she closed her door.

Poe loathed his cowardice when it came to Rey. He wished to be bold enough to tell her how he felt about her. To give her his heart. To admit to her that he’s wanted to be hers for a long time. But the words refused to come and would probably continue to stall somewhere between his brain and his mouth. _If only she could see how I feel about her, if only something gave it away and she figured it out. And then I’d know that she knows, and I could stop being afraid because the hardest part would be over_ , he thought as he removed the many decorative pillows from the bed. _But if you never say a word, you’re going to miss your chance_. It was Finn’s voice again.

Poe went to close the door but then decided against it. _Maybe she’ll wake up in the middle of the night and notice my door is open and take it as a sign to come in_ , he thought. He then shook his head and laughed at himself. _Entirely wishful thinking, Dameron_. He undressed and climbed into bed, set his alarm and closed his eyes. Despite the relatively early hour, he willed himself to sleep, all the while thinking of the ever-perfect Rey Solo.

##  **Rey**

_Why have I never spent this kind of time with Poe before?_ Rey wondered as she slid under her covers. 

Their dinner was genuinely lovely, their conversations grew more and more comfortable as time went on. His consistent accolades about her cooking made her feel proud but giggly. She was overly pleased to learn he didn’t judge her Disney obsession, unlike Kylo and a few others. Poe even seemed to like that aspect about her. As a little girl, Rey had always loved Disney movies. She was always thrilled when her family would take a trip to the theme park. She was ecstatic when her parents gifted the kids with annual passes one Christmas. The excitement for all things Disney never left her. Finn and many of her friends loved going to the parks as well, but they were nowhere near Rey’s level with her plethora of different themed Minnie Mouse ears to her never-ending collection of Disney-related clothing to her now growing selection of small Loungefly backpacks. 

When she did mention Kylo, there was a glint in Poe’s eye that she didn’t know how to define, but she found herself desperately wanting to know what it meant. And when Poe offered to clean up while she showered so she wouldn’t be up late, she about nearly swooned; her past boyfriends never once offered that. And then there was the warmth that consumed her as she felt his body against hers when they hugged in greeting. It was such a simple hug but that was a brand new sensation to Rey.

She had always thought he was attractive but never thought anything of it since plenty of girls she knew throughout the years thought he was hot. _But, God damn, did he look gorgeous in his business attire_ , she thought with a smirk.

And, of course, she had always been fond of him. But at this moment, she realized it was always a much different fondness than in comparison to any other close friend of Finn’s that often hung out at the Solo home.

Poe was the kindest, most courteous, bravest, smartest, and most gorgeous man she knew.

And then it finally hit her. _I like Poe_. The realization floored her. _Have I always had a crush on him?_ she wondered, staring up at her ceiling and very aware of Poe’s proximity to her as he slept just across the hall. Whether the crush existed over all these years or not, Rey had no choice but to realize her feelings for him had grown stronger now. _That is the man I should be with._

As she slowly drifted off to sleep, images of Poe’s sincerely charming smile crowded her thoughts. The soft and warm feelings she got as they had dinner together filled her once again. And her mind kept wandering to the bed just across the hall and imagining the things they could be doing in it.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it Kills Me (from the Casa Nova Sessions) by Jason Mraz
> 
> Hello, tell me you know / Yeah, you figured me out / Something gave it away / And it would be such a beautiful moment / To see the look on your face / To know that I know that you know now
> 
> And baby that's a case of my wishful thinking / You know nothing / Cause you and I / Why, we go carrying on for hours, on end / We get along much better / Than you and your boyfriend
> 
> Well all I really wanna do is love you / A kind much closer than friends use / But I still can't say it after all we've been through / And all I really want from you is to feel me / As the feeling inside keeps building / And I will find a way to you if it kills me / If it kills me
> 
> Well how long, can I go on like this / Wishing to kiss you / Before I rightly explode? / This double life I lead isn't healthy for me / In fact it makes me nervous / If I get caught I could be risking it all
> 
> Baby there's a lot that I miss / In case I'm wrong
> 
> Well all I really wanna do is love you / A kind much closer than friends use / But I still can't say it after all we've been through / And all I really want from you is to feel me / As the feeling inside keeps building / And I will find a way to you if it kills me / If it kills me
> 
> If I should be so bold / I'd ask you to hold my heart in your hand / Tell you from the start how I've longed to be your man / But I never said a word / I guess I'm gonna miss my chance again
> 
> Well all I really wanna do is love you / A kind much closer than friends use / But I still can't say it after all we've been through / And all I really want from you is to feel me / As the feeling inside keeps building / And I will find a way to you if it kills me / If it kills me / If it kills me / I think it might kill me
> 
> And all I really want from you is to feel me / It's a feeling inside that keeps building / And I will find a way to you if it kills me / If it kills me / It might kill me
> 
> (I do not own these characters, lyrics, or images)


	2. Realize

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey arrive at Disneyland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: When Poe and Rey mention the sequel movie characters in this chapter, I've referred to them by the actors' names to avoid confusion with my story characters having the same names. 
> 
> This chapter was inspired by the song Realize by Colbie Caillat (lyrics in the end notes).

## Rey

As soon as her alarm went off at 4:15 that Friday morning, Rey’s eyes sprung open and was automatically alert. _Rise of the Resistance day!_ she excitedly thought. _Also, Poe freaking Dameron is sleeping just across the hallway right now. I wonder if he sleeps naked..._

Rey shook her head of the incoming dirty thoughts and hopped out of bed. She padded over to the master bathroom and began brushing her teeth. It was a little challenging to keep her mind from wandering over to the man sleeping in her guestroom though.

Afterward, she opened her bedroom door and found the guestroom’s wide open; the room was still pitch black, Poe’s gentle breathing came from within. Rey kept her door open, hoping to catch a view of Poe (hopefully shirtless) when he made his way to the shower. As Rey applied her makeup, she could hear Poe’s alarm go off for a few moments before it was silenced. After a minute or two, however, there was no movement from the dark room. Rey tiptoed into the hallway and strained to listen for any activity, but there was just silence. _Shit, did he go back to sleep? I guess that means I gotta wake him up_ , she thought, completely denying the fact that she hoped the duvet wasn’t covering certain body parts of his.

She found him sprawled out on his back, the duvet (unfortunately) covering him from the waist down. Rey gave herself a moment to fully appreciate his naked torso in the very dim light that snuck in from her room. Rey had seen Poe shirtless countless times before thanks to the heat of Southern California summers, but this was an entirely new experience to see him after her sudden realizations. She bit her lip in appreciation of his chiseled body.

“Poe?“ Rey whispered as she took a seat on the side of the bed and gave his shoulder a gentle shake. He began to lightly stir. “Time to wake up,“ she whispered again, a little closer now to his face.

“Mmm, hi,“ Poe sleepily breathed. His eyes were heavy but gazing up at her. A dreamy smile grew on his lips. It all but left Rey breathless as her hand remained on his warm skin. However, a moment later, Poe fully awoke and became flustered, Rey’s hand flew back to her lap. “Shit, I turned off my alarm, didn’t I? It’s not too late, is it?“

“No, not at all,“ Rey giggled.

“Okay, good. I don’t want to let you down at the very start of our day already,“ he laughed. “I’m just gonna get up and hop in for a quick shower.“

“I’ll finish getting ready,“ Rey smiled and reluctantly left the room. She was able to get one more glimpse of shirtless Poe as he seemed to run for the bathroom. _Mmmm, he’s damn hot_ , she thought. _And so sweet, not wanting to disappoint me._

Rey wriggled into her jeans, having picked out her most flattering pair. She threw on one of her Star Wars-themed tank tops, a Star Wars sweatshirt on top of that, and slipped on her white Converse. Entering her closet, she picked out her Chewbacca themed Minnie ears and the Loungefly mini backpack that resembled R2D2. She took a glance in the mirror, approved of the whole ensemble, and then began to leave her room to get her belongings together downstairs. Just as she reached her doorway, the bathroom door swung open and Poe, wearing nothing but a towel, came down the hallway. _Sweet baby Jesus_ , she thought at the sight of him and tried not to stare.

“Well, look at you,“ Poe smiled when he saw her as he padded towards his room.

“I obviously had to be on theme today,“ Rey stated. She gave him a few corny poses so he could see her entire outfit from different views, making him laugh.

“I promise I’m almost done. I just need to get dressed and brush my teeth.“

“No worries, Poe, we’re quite on schedule,“ Rey reassured him before she headed down the stairs.

When she reached the kitchen, she found it spotless. She only expected Poe to wash the dishes, as nice as that was - not the entire kitchen. The counters and stove were clean from any stray splashes of marinara or garlic bread crumbs. The leftovers were stacked neatly in the fridge. The dining table had been wiped down and made tidy. Rey took a peak in the dishwasher and found it was loaded correctly. Well, _almost_. There were just one or two things she saw that could be placed more suitably to make more room, but she’ll happily look past that.

Getting back to the matter at hand, Rey began to gather everything they may need for the day. She slipped her trusty portable battery pack into the bag (just in case their phones should die from Disney app use and all the pictures she planned to take with Poe to commemorate their day). Two reusable straws (damn the eco-friendly paper ones the parks now gave with drinks), some Tylenol (to stave off any headache that could threaten their day), and her tube of powdered sunscreen (because God forbid her face look oily from regular sunscreen in front of Poe) were thrown into the bag next. She grabbed two of her thinnest water bottles, filled them, and loaded them in. By the time Poe was coming down the stairs, she was adding in a couple of granola bars and fruit snacks.

Rey giddily thought it was absolutely adorable that Poe was wearing a Star Wars shirt as well. Plus, the well-fitted black tee with the simple Star Wars title emblazoned on the chest, looked downright good on him. As he slipped a sweatshirt over his head, she took the fleeting moment to stare at the flash of skin that peaked out just above his jeans as he lifted his arms up. _Calm down, girl. It’s as if you’ve never seen a man’s body before._

“Alrighty, I have a water bottle for each of us and a couple of snacks. But we still need breakfast. Do you mind if we stop by Starbucks? I figured we could use some caffeine this morning,“ Rey asked as she made sure she had her annual pass, credit card, and ID in her cardholder.

“Sounds perfect. I’ll drive if you’d like?“ Poe proposed.

As they settled into his car, Poe offered his phone to Rey so she could pick what she wanted to listen to from Spotify. On most Disneyland occasions, she would choose Disney songs to pump her and whoever she was going with up with excitement and childlike glee. But this time, Rey was more interested in finding out more about Poe, including what music he liked. Rey only vaguely knew of the band they were listening to but she was pleased to learn she rather enjoyed The Avett Brothers’ songs, beginning with the one that was already playing as Poe started up the car. It was an acoustic, folksy tune with the man singing about how nothing could hold him back from the one he loves. She found it quite romantic.

After a quick stop at Starbucks for some much-needed coffee and breakfast sandwiches, they hopped on the freeway. Rey took a picture of their coffee in the cup holders alongside her Chewie ears. Adding the current time and tagging Poe in it, she posted it to her Instagram story with the caption “rising early for Rise of the Resistance!”

From time to time, Rey would glance down at Poe’s right hand, his arm resting on the center console, and would wonder what it would be like to just hold it in hers.

## Poe

“Okay, here’s a song to get us hyped up for our day,“ Poe stated when he pulled up to a red light as they exited the 5. He quickly scrolled through his Spotify, finding the song, and the beginning of The Ataris’ San Dimas High School Football Rules started streaming through the car’s speakers.

Rey let out a chuckle that made Poe grin. “Because they mention Disneyland once?” she asked.

“Yup!“ Poe replied before both he and Rey shout-sang the opening lines together. The upbeat, punky tune had them bopping along in their seats. _Also, because there are a few other lines in the song that I'm too scared to articulate to you myself. But you don’t need to know that. You also don’t need to know that the song that was playing when we got in the car was a song I was listening to on my way here because I think of you when I hear it. But that’s neither here nor there_ , Poe thought as they sang along.

Rey also didn’t need to know that Poe had been having a rather risque dream when his alarm went off that morning. Wanting to continue that dream was the reason he quickly silenced that alarm while still mostly asleep. And when she woke him, dream mixed with reality - for a moment, Poe believed she was the Rey in his dreams. Until he fully awoke and was fully aware of how close she was and the hard member lying beneath the duvet. After she left the room, he jumped up and ran to the shower, hoping she wouldn’t see what he was hiding in his boxer briefs.

“Okay, I might've expended too much energy on that already,“ Rey laughed as the song ended.

Since morning traffic had not started yet, they arrived within twenty minutes. After parking and the security process, it was just about 5:30 by the time they reached the esplanade between the two parks. Rey came to a halt as they found each and every one of the lines to enter Disneyland nearly reaching all the way to California Adventure’s entrance.

“Oh, no. Should we have gotten here earlier?“ Rey fretted.

Poe, just wanting to ease her worries, took one of her hands in his and gave it a squeeze. “No, you planned this perfectly, Rey. This will work out just fine.” She seemed to relax a bit and gave a small smile. When she took a glance down at their hands, Poe realized he was still holding hers and abruptly released it. _Don’t be a creep, Dameron_. “Come on, let’s go pick a line to stand in,” he said and turned towards the crowds.

Having joined one of the center lines, Poe looked around at their surroundings. It was dark, the ground still wet from some overnight rain. The air was cold, but he liked the briskness. Despite the early hour and general lack of sleep, excited energy was buzzing around them. Typical Disney music played over the loudspeakers. When the opening notes of the Star Wars theme sounded, cheers erupted from all around, people loudly humming along with the music. Rey began recording it all around them. She posted it to her story along with a selfie of her and Poe looking tired but happy with the long lines leading to the entrance in back of them. Poe wasn’t one to be in lots of pictures but he’d happily be in any with Rey at his side. Even though he had an Instagram account, he didn’t often use it. But he found himself feeling a little proud, for some reason, when he saw she was tagging him and adding him to her stories.

“Alrighty, let’s prepare since we’re just standing here. Do you have the Disneyland app on your phone already?“ Rey asked.

“Nope. I let everyone else deal with that and I was just along for the ride when we went for Paige’s birthday. Here, you know what you’re doing,“ Poe said while handing over his phone and park ticket to her with a smile.

Rey took them from him and he thought he saw her smile when their fingers touched, but that was probably just his imagination. She downloaded the app, linked his ticket, added MaxPass, then linked her own annual pass to it. She handed his phone back and went to work on adding his ticket to the app on her own phone.

“Okay! Now we can both try for the ride’s boarding passes at the same time.“ A cheer erupted from the front of the lines. Rey turned her attention towards it and squinted. “I think a cast member is waving around Adam Driver’s lightsaber behind the gates. I can’t make out what he’s saying, though.” A moment later, they understood as a countdown began. The yells of each number came down the lines from the front like a wave as more and more people joined in. After the countdown reached one, an even larger cheer followed it, and some movement started at the front of each line. “Huh, I think they’re letting us in a little early, it’s only 5:45.”

“Probably because they can’t fit any more people over here,“ Poe remarked as he looked around.

They shuffled along as the line moved them forward. By the time they were scanned into the park and making their way to Main Street, it was only 6:10.

“See, what did I tell you, we’d get in perfectly fine,“ Poe smiled at her, giving her shoulder a playful nudge with his own. Rey smiled sweetly back at him.

They stayed close by each others’ sides as they walked through the crowds on Main Street, looking for a big enough spot to stand and wait. The end of the street seemed to be blocked, barring the guests from continuing into the main hub. The area became packed to the brim, but Poe wasn’t about to complain about being huddled up with Rey. Even with the number of people in the relatively small area, a silence fell upon them as the classic Disneyland announcer voice came over the loudspeakers, proclaiming that the virtual boarding system for the ride would start at 8:00.

“Still about an hour and forty-five minutes away,“ Rey stated with a frown and then gave Poe an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry. It looks like we really didn’t have to get here so early.“

“I really don’t mind, Rey,“ Poe assured her. And he truthfully really didn’t mind. Where he had been very nervous about spending so many hours alone with her, he found himself worrying less and less, even growing comfortable. He would have woken up at any ungodly hour for her if she asked. “There was no way to tell how smoothly, or not, this would all go. And I like being here in all of this excitement anyways,“ he finished. _And to be here with you_.

The crowds radiated joyful anticipation all around them. The feeling only grew when they were all set free into the main hub. All of the lands were still roped off from entry, but the hordes of guests began separating towards the different lands’ entrances, the front of the castle, throughout the plaza area, or stayed behind on Main Street. Rey guided Poe towards the Frontierland entrance.

“Should we go check out Galaxy’s Edge first?“ she asked as they came to a stop.

“Sure,“ Poe responded, her smile growing closer to his as more people packed into the area.

Rey told Poe the story of when she and Rose had come to the parks completely hungover six years prior. She would toss her head back and laugh at their stupidity for thinking they could make it work, Poe loved watching her as she did so. It was then that everyone around them noticed the beautiful sunrise. Rey turned around to face towards Tomorrowland. The dark blue of the sky faded into hues of light purples as it got closer to the eastern horizon. Cotton candy pink clouds stretched about. The sun hadn’t truly come out yet, but the golden yellow glow from it was pushing the other colors away as it inched higher to the left of Space Mountain. It really was a gorgeous view.

“Wow, that’s beautiful,“ she murmured.

Poe took the opportunity to snap a picture on his phone, the brilliant sunrise and the back of Rey in the dark foreground as she gazed at it. Throwing caution to the wind, he couldn’t resist posting it to his own Instagram story, the very first one he had ever posted. 

## Rey

Rey took her attention away from the sunrise when she felt her phone vibrate with a notification. She pulled up an Instagram message from Rose, having seen the crowds in her posts.

**_Rose_ **: Holy hell, I’m kinda glad I had to work today. But I’m happy Poe went with you. Have fun with him!

A winky face ended her message. _Hmmm, what?_ Rey thought, curious as to what her sister-in-law was trying to get at. It was then that she saw Poe tagged her in his story. She absolutely loved the picture he took and smiled.

“Poe, is this the first story you’ve ever posted? Did I make it into your first story?“ she teased and nudged him with her elbow.

“Shut up,“ he laughed. “I thought it was a good picture.“

“It is, actually. I’m reposting that shit.“

As she did so, the cast members that stood at the front of the Frontierland and Adventureland entrances instigated the guests into a yelling war between the two sections separated by the pond. Fully getting into the group camaraderie, they joined in to chant with their Frontierland group yelling “Star,” followed by the Adventureland side’s shouts of “Wars.” 

At 6:45, the ropes dropped to let everyone into the park fully. The crowd they were packed into started to make its way into Frontierland. People all around them seemed to be filming the act as they moved in. Fast walkers broke away from the masses but in an orderly fashion.

“You ever watch the race walking competition in the Olympics?“ Poe asked when he observed a few of them pass by as they strolled next to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

“Yes, and now I can’t unsee it,“ Rey laughed, watching a particularly excited fast walker.

They walked through the tunnel, entered Galaxy’s Edge, and meandered through. The land consisted of the village of Black Spire Outpost, supposedly on the planet of Batuu.

“Do you think it would be really busy today at the Droid Depot?“ Rey asked as they walked past it. “I kinda wanna build a little droid to take home.“

“Why don’t we take a look and see?“ Poe suggested, once again grabbing her hand and leading her into the building. Rey noticed he held on to her hand a little bit longer this time, only letting go once they were in the crowded store. _I need some more of that_ , she thought.

“Alright, definitely busy. Let’s try again later,“ she said upon seeing that packed interior.

“How about you build a droid and I’ll build a lightsaber?“ Poe proposed, a boyish smile on his face.

“Deal!“ Rey exclaimed, happy to have a partner in her nerdiness.

The land was filling up fast. Ronto’s Roasters had the longest line she had ever seen for that place. They headed down to the Millennium Falcon. When it came into view, Poe paused and let out a sigh.

“I don’t think I’ll ever not be stunned by that view. Granted, this is only the third time I’ve seen it, but still,“ Poe said as he gazed at the iconic spacecraft. Rey looked over at him and smiled at his cuteness.

“Picture time!“ Rey announced, turning Poe so his back faced the Falcon. After taking a few selfies in front of it, a cast member offered to take their picture for them. Rey liked those pictures better. They stood close together, Poe’s arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist, their heads tilted towards one another, and big smiles on their faces. _We would make quite the couple_ , she happily thought as she posted it to her story.

They wandered by Oga’s Cantina and into the First Order area. Stormtroopers snaked through the groups of parkgoers. “The First Order will be watching you,” one of them stated as they passed by.

“Did you ever try the blue or green milk while you were here?” Rey asked when she saw the Milk Stand.

“I tried Finn’s blue one and Rose’s green one. I liked the green better. You wanna get one?“

“I heard they have a new version of the green milk with tajin seasoning and mango chunks in it. I’m kinda interested. Wanna share it?“

“Sure thing.” 

As they waited in line, Adam Driver and a few more Stormtroopers came stalking by, stopping to “harass” a few guests. Rey yelled out a loud “boo“ in Adam’s direction.

“Not an Adam fan, I see?“ Poe laughed.

“Nope. I’m more of a Oscar Isaac kind of girl,“ Rey smiled back and stepped up to order their Toydarian Swirl.

“As someone who enjoys putting tajin on mango slices, I like it!” Rey said as she sipped it.

“It’s...interesting,“ Poe commented as he first tried it. “I can’t tell whether I like it or not.“ He kept sipping it. “Okay, I’m leaning towards liking it,” he stated as he handed the drink back to Rey.

They headed towards the Resistance area, walking through the busy marketplace, experiencing all the sights and sounds. They walked past the X-wing and through the crowds of people milling about in front of Rise of the Resistance. They spotted R2D2 weaving through, to the delight of little kids and adults alike. 

“Alright, it’s way too crowded over here. One of the tips I read was to find a relatively empty area when we try for boarding passes, just in case the app crashes with so many people trying to jump on it in one spot,“ Rey said.

“Where should we go?“

“Let’s head towards Fantasyland and go from there. Hopefully, we’ll find a good place, and then we’ll work on our strategy.“

“Just tell me what to do and I’ll obey,“ Poe stated with his charming smile.

_Kiss me_ , Rey thought.

## Poe

“So. Oscar, huh?“ Poe asked as they walked through to Fantasyland. _Am I really a little jealous over a fictional character?_

“Definitely Oscar, that sexy flyboy,“ Rey smiled. “Did you like the sequel trilogy?”

“Yeah. The movies were fun and entertaining. Nothing would ever beat the original trilogy, though.“

“What about the prequels?“ Rey asked with a knowing smile.

“Let’s not discuss the prequels,“ Poe laughed.

“The only reason why I don’t mind the prequels is because they gave the world Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan. I’ve had a major crush on him. And on that character because of him.“

Poe laughed and shook his head.

Fantasyland was quite populated as well, but not nearly as bad as what they were just in.

“I watched some youtube videos from the Disney World ride opening while I was doing my research on tips. I never watched the whole ride ‘cause I want most of it to be a surprise. But from what I did see, it looks absolutely amazing,“ Rey mentioned as they passed by the King Arthur Carrousel.

“I’ve stayed away from any and all spoilers. I want to be completely stunned by all of it.“

Rey grinned at him. “You’re such a fanboy,” she teased and bumped into him as they walked. “I totally remember you loving those movies when we were little. My parents gave you a blue lightsaber one Christmas and you constantly played with it. Even when we were all playing ‘castle,’ you would use that as your sword. I definitely remember you getting Star Wars comic books when you and Finn would go to the comic book store. And, forgive me if I’m wrong, you always go see the movies on the opening day. You’re definitely a Star Wars fanboy!”

“I have to go on opening day so I don’t get spoiled,“ Poe stated in defense.

“I mean, I find it cute!“ Rey said.

_Was that a blush?_ Poe thought as he looked over at her, her cheeks slightly tinged with pink.

“Let’s turn down here, it doesn’t seem to be crowded,“ Rey suddenly suggested as they were passing the Mad Tea Party. She brought them to a halt at a spot in between Alice in Wonderland and the Matterhorn. A few small groups of people were scattered along the path that led back to the main hub. “I think this is the best we’re gonna find.”

“Looks good. Here -“ Poe began stripping off his sweatshirt and then spreading it on the ground. “You can sit on that.“

“You sure? Aren’t you cold?“

“Nah. I like the crisp morning air.“

“Ah. So, in the wise words of Frozen’s Elsa, the cold never bothered you anyway?“ Rey’s brow lifted and she gave him a cheesy smile. He thought she was absolutely adorable.

“Wow.“

“I won’t apologize for that,“ Rey said and took a seat, trying to make room for Poe on the sweatshirt as well. “Here, you can squeeze on too.”

Poe sat down very close to her. He could smell the beachy coconut scent of her shampoo. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that he only had maybe half of one ass cheek on the sweatshirt.

“Okay, it’s setting in. I am completely on edge and terrified that we won’t be able to get boarding passes for the ride and I dragged you into all of this for nothing. I mean, I can’t control this, it’s supposed to be a completely random lottery.“

“We’ll get them, Rey. I know we will,” Poe assured her while placing his arm around her shoulders. “But even if we don’t, we’re still going to have a fun time on all the other rides today. And then we’ll try again another day.” 

“Thanks, Poe,“ Rey said softly and laid her head on his shoulder. 

Poe would have been happy with just staying in that position all day. But, it was almost 8:00, he wanted to make this day successful for Rey. “So don’t you worry and please prep me on how I should be doing this.“

“Okay. I will completely exit out of the app and only reopen it as soon as 8:00 hits. You will already have the app open just before and will constantly be refreshing the page,” Rey instructed. She took Poe’s phone and showed him the screen he needed to be on in the app. “Hopefully, one of those tactics will get us into the boarding quick enough.“

Just before 8:00, the park seemed to quiet as everyone prepared to get passes. Poe looked around, everyone was staring intently at their phones. One person was watching the time and counting down the exact seconds for his group. Poe did his job of continually refreshing the boarding page and, as it turned 8:00, Rey jumped on the app. Her method worked the fastest. They successfully got their boarding passes for the ride.

## Rey

“Ah! Group 30!“ Rey exclaimed, getting to her feet. Poe followed her lead and stood as well, smiling his incredible smile. Rey threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Cheers of elation could be heard from all around, even from the people out in the main hub area. As Rey let go of their embrace, she knew her face showed the same happy relief that was on Poe’s. They both broke into a laugh at how ridiculous this all was.

Now that she was completely able to relax, she couldn’t wait to get their day started. First, she brought Poe into another selfie, instructing him to pose with an obviously over-excited face with her. She captioned it with the number 30 and posted it. A moment after she had, she received another Instagram message. Expecting it to be from Rose, she was rather shocked to see Kylo’s name instead.

**_Kylo_ **: Why are you there with Dameron? I would have taken you there, Rey.

She hadn’t heard from Kylo even once in the five months since the breakup and she was happy she hadn’t. As she had been posting these stories of her and Poe, she knew a few of her old girlfriends would probably be envious of her. But at no point did she even think of Kylo or about him getting jealous that she was there with Poe Dameron. Jealous to the point where he messaged her out of nowhere, even suggesting he would have taken her instead. _That’s a damn lie and he knows it_ , Rey thought as she happily ignored the message and turned her attention back to Poe.

“What first?“ Poe asked.

Rey opened the app again and looked at wait times. “Jungle Cruise only has a five-minute wait. Same with Pirates of the Caribbean. Let's do those while I look for FastPasses for another ride.” As they walked out to the main hub, passing the castle, people were still celebrating, strangers were congratulating each other and shouting out their boarding numbers. There were also a few groups with long faces, complaining about not being able to get passes. 

“Space Mountain in about an hour?“ Rey asked as she looked at the FastPass list.

“Definitely.“

While they joined the short line for the Jungle Cruise, Rey’s phone vibrated again. Another message from Kylo.

**_Kylo_ **: Are you dating him, Rey?

Even though they were just words on her screen, Rey could still hear his pompous voice tinged with disgust and she cringed. She decided that there was no need for that asshole to follow her, especially since she had stopped following him back in August. Rey ignored his message again and blocked him from her account. She looked back up at Poe and sighed with content. _I wish I was dating him, Kylo. I wish_.

## Poe

Hearing Rey’s sigh, Poe turned to her, a pleased smile spread on her face. She looked so happy. If even a small fraction of her smile had to do with Poe, he loved being part of the reason to bring that smile to her beautiful face.

The line moved fast and before they knew it, Poe was following Rey as they were loaded onto their boat. Settling into his spot, he automatically rested his arm on the side of the boat. When Rey leaned back to get comfortable, perfectly fitting within his outstretched arm, his nervousness nearly made him remove it. But she seemed to almost snuggle into his side. He dared to leave his arm, a little tighter around her with his hand now cupped around her arm. _This is nonchalant, right?_ he wondered. 

As the boat left the dock, their skipper introduced herself, and the familiar horribly corny yet endearing jokes ensued. An older lady near the front of the boat seemed to thoroughly enjoy the cheesiness. Rey kept stifling her own laughter as the lady genuinely cackled at each horrible joke. 

“And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. The eight Wonder of the World - the backside of water!” the skipper announced as they passed behind the waterfall. Poe let out a snicker at that routine joke. At the sound, Rey whipped her head back towards him, a radiant smile on her face. She gave his leg a quick squeeze before turning back towards the front of the boat. The action left Poe breathless.

Once they exited the ride, Rey grabbed Poe’s hand and led him through the groups of people that crowded in front of the Indiana Jones ride towards Pirates of the Caribbean. She released it when they got out of the jammed area. The line was still short at Pirates as well, they quickly winded through the switchbacks until they reached the end of the queue just inside the building. 

“This had always been my favorite ride since I was little,” Poe stated.

“Really? I would imagine one of the big rides being your favorite,” Rey said.

“Oh, I love Space Mountain and Big Thunder, but this had always been my number one. The ride takes its time and tells a story. Plus, that first drop in the pitch-black always thrilled my young self. And what little boy doesn’t love pirates?”

“I believe I recall you and Finn playing pirates. If I remember correctly, Finn used a wooden sword while you stuck with your trusty blue lightsaber,” Rey teased. Poe felt oddly touched that she remembered details such as this. 

They stepped along at a steady pace and were sorted into their lane. When they sat in their designated row in the boat, they sat close together with no space between them, despite the plenty of room on the outer sides. As their boat slowly floated through the faux Louisiana bayou night, Poe found Rey looking over at the Blue Bayou restaurant to the right.

“Have you ever eaten there?” Poe asked.

“Nope. I want to eventually, though. Reservations are hard to come by if you don’t plan it out well in advance,” Rey answered, turning her attention back towards Poe and the animatronic old man playing the banjo on a porch. 

“I always wanted to eat there when I was little. We should go sometime,” Poe offered. The delighted smile that grew on Rey’s face made him feel proud. _I did that_ , he thought as they came to the overhead skull and crossbones delivering words of warning. The utter darkness came next. As their boat began to tip down the drop, Rey’s hand found Poe’s, and she gripped it. A small yelp came from her direction amongst the thrilled yells of a few other boat passengers. 

“That drop gets me every time,” Rey laughed. She freed his hand after the second, smaller drop, much to Poe’s dismay. 

Their boat slowly drifted around the bends, soon coming across the wrecked pirate ship in a storm, a skeleton pirate still trying to steer it. “That one always unnerved me as a kid,” Poe quietly noted.

“We have a little bit of time before our FastPasses come up for Space Mountain. Are you getting hungry at all? Second breakfast?” Rey asked as they exited the ride building to the brighter daylight.

“I can definitely eat something. What do you suggest?” Poe asked.

“They have these tasty breakfast chimichangas over by Big Thunder. But I don’t want to boss around your entire day!”

“Rey, you know this place a hell of a lot better than I do. You’re my tour guide for the day and I trust your suggestions. Plus, a deep-fried breakfast burrito? I’m sold.”

Rey gave him a firm nod and a smile. “This way then,” she said and marched them off towards Big Thunder Mountain. After inhaling their second breakfast, they made their way towards Tomorrowland.

## Rey

As they entered the main hub area through the Frontierland gate, Rey pulled up the Disneyland app on her phone, searching for available FastPasses. While she did so, she casually slipped her hand into the crook of Poe’s elbow so he could guide her while she looked down at her phone. He squeezed his arm tighter to his side, holding her hand in place there, bringing a smile to Rey’s face.

“How about Guardians of the Galaxy?” she asked as she scrolled through the list.

“Sounds good. I still haven’t been on it since it changed from Tower of Terror.”

“What? Really?” she asked, putting her phone away but still keeping her hand in place as they passed the Astro Orbitor.

“Yup. When we came for Paige’s birthday, I stuck around with Finn and them; we only went on rides Paige could go on. The last time I came here before that was to see Galaxy’s Edge, and we left early.”

“Is that when you went with Zorii? Why didn’t you guys stay long?” Rey asked. She remembered feeling jealous when she heard Poe and Zorii were going to the park soon after the Star Wars land opening. Rey had chalked the jealousy up to them actually going while Kylo kept backing out of their own plans to go. Maybe there was more to the jealousy, though. Zorii was nice enough, although a little brash. Rey never quite liked her, and now she was understanding why. _She had my man_ , she thought.

“Yeah. I could just tell she didn’t care to be here and it kind of put a damper on the day.”

“We should have just gone together. I was dying to come see Galaxy’s Edge, but it took two whole months for me to drag Kylo here for it. I ended up breaking things off with him just a month later. Not because of Disneyland, mind you! I’m not that crazy. He was just an asshole. An asshole with a wandering eye.”

“I always hated him. He never treated you as you deserved,” Poe stated, his sentence growing a little quieter, like he realized what he was saying.

Rey smiled warmly in his direction, even though Poe kept his head straight and looked forward. _I bet you would treat me how I deserve, though_ , she thought. “If you don’t mind me asking, why did you end things with Zorii?”

“I realized she just wasn’t ‘the one,’ you know? I came to the conclusion that I didn’t truly love her anymore.”

“Makes sense,” Rey stated, trying to hide the little smile that threatened the corners of her mouth. _Please realize that I could possibly be ‘the one’ for you_ , she thought. While she acknowledged she only began to understand her feelings for Poe the previous night, Rey could feel the want and need she had for this good man deep in her core, like it really had always been there.

They reached Space Mountain and, after scanning in their FastPasses, they continued up the ramp towards the line. “What’s your favorite ride? This one?” Poe asked.

“Yes. Kinda. I love this one. Guardians too, it never fails to make me giggle. Toy Story Mania is fun and I get super competitive on it. Big Thunder is another one that I’ve always loved. And the drop on Splash Mountain actually always scares me, that’s why I love it, but not when it’s cooler weather. Basically, the whole of Disneyland Resort is my favorite ride.”

“I feel like that’s cheating,” Poe laughed as they moved along. “I think Rise of the Resistance is going to blow all the other rides out of the water.”

After being placed into lane six, they stood behind the gate to wait for the next rocket, Poe standing close behind her. Rey took a chance and leaned back a little so her back rested against his chest. “I could fall asleep like this,” she softly said.

“Me too,” he whispered near her ear as his arm wrapped around her chest and shoulders, holding her close against him. Rey hoped he couldn’t feel her heart thumping beneath his arm. All too soon, their ride vehicle pulled up to the gate, and both were jolted back to attention. 

“You know when the ride takes our picture at the end? I need you to stick your tongue out and make a silly face, k?” Rey asked as their rocket slowly climbed through the hypnotic tunnel.

“Yes, ma’am,” Poe answered.

Once at the top of the dark, star-filled room, the ride counted down, and they were released. The fast-paced, sharp turns, and dips never failed to make Rey smile throughout.

“Ugh, that ride is too short,” Rey commented as they walked up to the screens that showed riders’ pictures.

“Wait. What?” Poe exclaimed, finding their picture. Rey began to laugh. On the screen, Poe was obediently making his silly face, tongue sticking far out. Next to him, Rey sat prim and proper, looking as lovely as ever. “You said we were going to make faces!”

“Correction. I requested you to make said funny face. I never said what I was going to do,” Rey stated as she busily linked the picture’s PhotoPass code to the app. Once it loaded, she hurriedly posted it to her story, captioning it ‘I just can’t take him anywhere.’

“Oh, we are fighting now,” Poe said sternly.

Rey smiled as sweetly as she could and gave him a kiss on the cheek. _Come on, Dameron, take the hint, I want you_. “Star Tours is only a 20-minute wait. Should we head there? By the time we get through with that and head over to California Adventure, it should be time for our FastPass for Guardians. And, hopefully, Rise of the Resistance soon after!”

“Sounds good. I heard they added in scenes from Rise of Skywalker.”

“Yes, sir, they did,” Rey confirmed as they joined in the queue for the ride. As the line moved them along, they discussed their likes and dislikes in the sequel trilogy. Rey’s phone buzzed with a notification. Hoping it was the alert that their boarding group was being called for the new ride, Rey only found another message from Rose.

**_Rose_ **: Hmmm. Looks like you two are having a grand time…

Rey squinted suspiciously at the smirk emoji that ended Rose’s message. _What is she trying to get at?_ _Does she know I like Poe? How would she know, I had only just fully realized it myself last night? Maybe she’s referring to something else. Just play dumb._

**_Rey_ **: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

**_Rose_ **: Don’t you?

_She’s such a smartass_ , Rey thought as she gave her attention back to Poe.

Once they were loaded into their StarSpeeder, C3PO and R2-D2 led the way, taking them from the terminal, into lightspeed, and through the watery Death Star wreckage on Kef Bir. A hard tilt to the right had Poe grasping for the armrest, only to find Rey’s hand already on it. Rey was pleased that he didn’t automatically pull his hand away, but grabbed her hand instead. After an escape back to space, a transmission from Lando Calrissian beamed onto the screen. A quiet gasp of “Lando” came from Poe’s lips and she found it adorable. Jumping to lightspeed again, they joined in for the final battle at Exegol. 

“That was fun,” Poe smiled as they walked down the ramp towards the gift shop, throwing their 3D glasses in the bin.

“I know, I love when they add in stuff from each movie as it comes out.”

They made their way through Tomorrowland and back onto Main Street. “Remind me to find a stuffed animal for Paige before we finish our day,” Poe requested as they walked by the large Emporium store.

“Aww, that’s sweet, Poe,” Rey remarked.

“I am her favorite person and all,” he proudly said.

“Did Rose tell you that? Because I’ve heard her say the same to a few other people,” she laughed.

“Way to knock me down,” Poe said, feigning sadness while giving her a playful shove. 

“I’m just messing with you! And Paige loves her Uncle Poe. We’ll find her something cute.”

Images began popping up in her mind of the times she’d seen Poe playing with her baby niece. It was enough to make her inwardly swoon. _Be still, my ovaries_ , she thought.

## Poe

After entering California Adventure, Rey once again looped her arm through Poe’s while she looked at the app. He hoped it was becoming a habit. “They’re on boarding group 26!” she announced, still keeping her arm in place as she put her phone away. _She’s just comfortable with you, no need to get your hopes up_.

“Only four more groups left. I’d imagine we’ll be able to go once we’re done with this. How did you feel when Tower of Terror changed over to Guardians of the Galaxy?” Poe asked as they strolled along the street of Hollywood Land.

“I was definitely against it when they announced the change. I loved Tower of Terror and its haunted aspect, I thought it was pointless to just put a new overlay on it.”

“That’s how I feel.”

“I was wrong, though. The Guardians of the Galaxy version is so damn enjoyable. The soundtrack is fun; I believe there are six different songs, each song having its own drop sequence.”

Once they scanned in their FastPasses, they weren’t in the lobby for very long. Rey tried to point out a few of the easter eggs that were placed about the room before they were directed towards the left entrance of the Collector’s office. They watched Rocket’s spiel and were let into the second part of the queue. Their lane continued up a flight of stairs, stalling midway through. Rey stood on the steps above him, going through the list of FastPass rides on her phone. _I could get used to this view_ , Poe thought, Rey’s perfect rear prominent in front of him. _Don’t be a creep, Dameron_. He tried to look anywhere but ahead of him.

“How about Soaring?” Rey asked, turning towards him. He hoped she didn’t catch him. “If our Rise boarding group comes up after this, we should still be able to make it in time before our FastPasses expire for Soaring.”

“Good with me.”

The line began to move again and they were eventually loaded into a gantry lift. Rocket plugged in the Walkman and Born to Be Wild began playing. Out of the corner of his eye, Poe could see Rey bobbing her head along to the music.

“Oh shit!” The sudden, fast rise surprised him. Poe reached for her hand again and she giggled at his reaction, her fingers curling to hold his hand there. He was used to Tower of Terror’s gradual setup before any action began, not the immediate and constant movement from the outset of this newer version. The show that played out on the screens was funny. Elated screams filled their lift. At one moment, they hovered between a rise and a fall; the floating feeling made Rey giggle and Poe couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Alright, I take back my dislike for the ride change. That was actually pretty awesome,” he concluded as Rey linked the ride’s picture to the app, their hands joined and in the air as they anticipated the upcoming drop.

Exiting the gift shop, Rey again checked to see what boarding group was currently being called. Poe jutted his elbow out a touch and she instinctively slid her arm through.

“They’re still on boarding group 26,” she stated, her eyebrows knitted together as she stared at the phone’s screen. “It should be at least a little farther than that by now. What if this virtual boarding count is broken and we’re actually missing our group being called?” she worried.

“The ride probably broke down. I’m sure it’ll be up and running again soon. Don’t worry, Rey.” He gave her what he hoped was a calming grin.

“Thanks, Poe,” she said with a small, shy smile.

“For what?”

“You’ve really helped calm down my worries today. I know I can be a control freak sometimes, and you’ve been so accommodating and sweet. I’ve just been so worried things would go wrong and that it would ruin your day after you took time off of work to come here with me.”

“I’m more than happy to be here and have you as my tour guide. Truly. I’m having a great day with you, no matter if we get on that ride or not.”

“I’m having a good day with you too,” she said, her smile soft and sweet. “Well, our FastPass for Soaring starts in eight minutes, let’s just head over there.” Walking back through Hollywood Land, she searched for their next FastPass. “Toy Story Mania? It’s not until 2:25, so that should give us time to ride Rise of the Resistance, hopefully, and have lunch.”

“Works for me. That’s the one where you shoot at targets, right?”

“Yup. And I’ll kick your ass on it.” She smiled confidently at him as they walked through Buena Vista Street’s plaza.

“So, it’s still Soarin’ Around the World?” Poe asked as he saw the ride’s sign while they scanned their passes.

“Yup. I miss Soarin’ Over California and all of its scents,” Rey lamented. “But it’s always a bit of a big deal whenever they bring that version back. I think it’s coming back during the Food and Wine Festival next month.” 

“I haven’t been on the California version since they originally changed it to this. My favorite was always the river scene, it smelled so good.”

“Maybe we should go after they make the switch?” Rey suggested.

“I’d be down,” Poe answered, trying not to show his excitement of spending more time with her.

After walking through the flight memorabilia-lined hall, they were sat in their hang glider contraption. Up and away they went, taking in the sights of the (real) Matterhorn, Sydney Harbour, the Great Wall, and a few others. A grassy scent filled the air as they flew over elephants in the grasslands of Africa, a delicate rose scent for the Taj Mahal, and a tropical one over Fiji.

“Ugh. It’s still on 26!” Rey announced as they came back out into the daylight. “I heard that it takes a whole hour to boot the ride back up when it breaks down.”

“I know what will help us. Churros.” Poe’s eyebrows lifted with his suggestion.

Rey smiled. “Yes. A thousand times yes. There’s a churro cart back there in the plaza. Apparently, there’s a new one, the fluffernutter churro. It’s drizzled with peanut butter sauce, and marshmallow fluff, then topped with chocolate chips. I must try it.”

“I’ve always stayed true to the original churro. I tried Finn’s last time, it was a peppermint one covered in crushed candy canes. Too much for my liking. I’ll stick with the classic.”

Poe bought them their churros and smiled as Rey’s face lit up after taking her first bite of the fluffernutter one. He devoured his tasty treat and looked over at Rey’s. She was daintily nibbling at it, careful not to make a mess of herself with the gooey concoction.

“I’ll allow you one bite,” she said, catching his glances. 

She held it up to his lips and he bit off a piece. “Alright, that’s definitely better than I expected.”

Rey laughed while pulling out her phone. Poe checked his watch. It was only just after 11:00, but he still hoped Rise of the Resistance would be fixed and their boarding group would be summoned for it soon. He didn’t like seeing Rey worry, especially when she was worrying that his own day would be ruined.

But her eyes grew big as she looked down at the screen. “Poe! It’s time!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Realize by Colbie Caillat
> 
> Take time to realize / That your warmth is / Crashing down on in / Take time to realize / That I am on your side / Didn't I, didn't I tell you?
> 
> But I can't spell it out for you / No, it's never gonna be that simple / No, I can't spell it out for you
> 
> If you just realize what I just realized / Then we'd be perfect for each other and we'd never find another / Just realize what I just realized / We'd never have to wonder if we missed out on each other, now
> 
> Take time to realize / Oh, oh, I'm on your side / Didn't I, didn't I tell you? / Take time to realize / This all could pass you by / Didn't I tell you?
> 
> But I can't spell it out for you / No, it's never gonna be that simple / No, I can't spell it out for you
> 
> If you just realize what I just realized / Then we'd be perfect for each other and we'll never find another / Just realize what I just realized / We'd never have to wonder if we missed out on each other, but
> 
> It's not the same / No, it's never the same / If you don't feel it, too / If you meet me half way / If you would meet me half way / It could be the same for you
> 
> If you just realize what I just realized / Then we'd be perfect for each other and we'll never find another / Just realize what I just realized / We'd never have to wonder / Just realize what I just realized / If you just realize what I just realized
> 
> Missed out on each other now / Missed out on each other now  
> Realize, realize, realize, realize
> 
> (I do not own these characters, lyrics, or images)


	3. This Magic Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey ride Rise of the Resistance and continue their day at Disneyland together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reminder: If you are trying to avoid spoilers for Rise of the Resistance, please skip this chapter and continue on to chapter 4. If you are not avoiding spoilers, go ahead and read this chapter and ignore chapter 4.
> 
> Another reminder: Like the previous chapter, when the movie characters are brought up in the story, their actors' names are used.
> 
> This chapter was inspired by This Magic Moment by Lake Street Drive (lyrics in the end notes).

## Rey

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” Rey was nearly jumping up and down from excitement as they reentered Galaxy’s Edge. The two managed to keep their enthusiasm in check as they made their way through Adventureland and along the Rivers of America to Critter Country. It was hard to contain it now that the ambient sounds of Batuu could be heard through the area. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along the path at a slightly faster pace.

They reached the ride’s entrance and she squeezed his hand, turning to share a smile with him. _I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile like this before_ , she thought. Of course, she’d seen him smile over the years. There were his classic handsome smiles, understated ones, goofy grins he got with Paige, and many more. But the smiles he was giving her today were on another level. _And for only my enjoyment_ , she thought happily. They battled through the crowd that populated the entrance, waiting for their own groups to be called. Needing to pull up their boarding passes to show the cast member, she reluctantly let go of his hand. They were waved through, smiling ear to ear as they began their walk through the empty exterior part of the queue. They came to another checkpoint of cast members and their passes were scanned. They followed along the path, surrounded by greenery and filled with switchbacks. The path soon began to look like it was tunneled through rock. There was a small body of water to the right, the sounds of a waterfall grew louder.

“Heh. The backside of water,” Poe laughed a little deliriously as they passed behind the waterfall.

Rey slowly turned her head towards him, her mouth agape with a broad smile and wide eyes, shocked with his corny use of the equally corny Jungle Cruise joke. Poe seemed to blush, his smile turning bashful. Rey slipped her arm through his and drew herself close to his side as they continued on into the intricately designed queue. Designed to now look like they were in a tunneled cave of some sort, the walls and ceiling were rough strewn rock. Because of the boarding system, riders only trickled through, and they all seemed to take their time exploring the queue itself as they slowly moved along. A futuristic-looking, clear screen panel map, a blue glow emanating from it, sat in the center of one of the rooms the line wound through. Rey halted Poe and they posed for a selfie in front of it. Props, like storage containers of equipment, were placed here and there. In another room, the line wrapped around a row of weapon lockers. In the next section, the storage lockers were filled with flight suits and other pilot paraphernalia.

“It really feels like we’ve entered the Star Wars universe,” Poe said, a bit of awe in his voice as he studied a flight suit through the grating of the locker. She stood behind him and smiled, happy she was experiencing this with him.

Eventually, a group of them were let into a room, the door shutting behind them. Cute little BB-8 rolled around by video screens, beeps and boops sounded from the droid as the riders settled into the room. After an announcement of her incoming message, a holo transmission of Daisy appeared on the platform.

“Okay. This is legit,” Poe quietly murmured, his eyes wide as he gazed up at the realistic looking holo.

After Daisy tasked them with their mission, their transport pilots came on the screens and introduced Commander Oscar Isaac.

“I hear you’re a fine-looking group of recruits,” Oscar stated after he appeared on the screen from the cockpit of his X-wing. 

“And you’re a fine-looking pilot, Commander,” Rey mumbled. Poe stifled a laugh next to her. Another set of doors opened and they walked out into the daylight towards a transport ship. Oscar’s black and orange X-wing, including BB-8 in his spot, sat to the side. “My lover’s in there,” Rey whispered and nodded her head in its direction. Poe laughed and threw his arm around her shoulders as the transport’s engines started up, its doors sliding open.

“Come on, crazy,” he chuckled and they headed in. A few people in front of them congregated up front, near the animatronic figures of Lieutenant Bek and Nien Nunb.

“Let’s go to the back,” Rey suggested, gesturing to the rear “window.” Oscar came back on the screens that were placed around the transport. “Mmmm,” Rey moaned. Poe playfully shoved his shoulder into her own. She smiled at him and saw a laugh on his lips, but there almost seemed to be a very minuscule amount of something else. _Hmmm. Could he be a tiny bit jealous?_ Rey wondered with a private smile. They watched out the window as they left Batuu, flying off into space. The movements of their vehicle made it feel real. Soon, they were under attack and captured by a Star Destroyer. 

The doors, opposite the ones they had entered, opened and three First Order guards stepped in. “This ship is now under the control of the First Order. Everyone on it must proceed to interrogation immediately,” the middle one announced sternly. Rey and Poe let the other riders exit before they followed. They walked into the massive hangar filled with rows of Stormtroopers, a gigantic screen behind them acting like a window to space, another Destroyer and a TIE Fighter flew past. 

“Holy shit.” Awe filled Poe’s voice, it seemed that was all he could speak. Rey felt chills as she glanced about. It wasn’t the first time she thought this all looked movie-quality real, and it wouldn’t be the last, but this room was outrageous. A few of their group took quick photos in front of the assembled Stormtroopers, their heads subtly moving around as if they were real. Rey pulled a still-shocked Poe in for a selfie in front of them, instructing him to put on a fearful look.

“Alright, you’ve taken enough data scans, keep up with your units,” a guard commanded.

They left the hangar and followed the riders along another part of the queue. There seemed to be a subtle rocking beneath the floor, an illusory effect that made it feel like they were actually on the colossal ship, floating in space. 

Once they reached the end of the line, a First Order officer sorted the riders into small groups. Rey was delighted to see the cast members take their job very seriously and do it well. Their voices were authoritative, their looks were intimidatingly stern, their consistent walking up and down the hallways was crisp.

“I think I’m actually scared of them,” she whispered, leaning towards him as they diligently stood against the wall on their gray-colored marks.

When it was their turn, their small group was herded into a small, triangular room that seemed to only have one door, which shut behind them. Adam Driver appeared on a balcony above the door, threatening them. Once the characters departed, the riders were left in the room for a few moments. “Huh,” Poe uttered, seeming to be confused about where they go from there. Rey smiled, knowingly watching the wall to their right. Suddenly, a piece of the wall was cut away, and more in-character Resistance cast members ushered them through the hole to break them out. Poe and Rey hopped into their designated front row of the vehicle, being driven by an R5 droid.

After a hurried safety check and a pep talk from a Resistance member, their cart began to drive away. With this being a trackless system, they go every which way; forward, backward, side to side to escape obstacles. Stormtroopers shot at them from a balcony, she and Poe marveled at how chunks of the ceiling got taken out by the shots and sparks flew when the blasts seemed to hit control panels on the walls. They then entered a rather tall room, a couple of rather tall AT-ATs filling the interior. Rey snuck a glance at Poe as they weaved around the AT-ATs legs, his face was filled with child-like merriment. John made an appearance, disguised as a Stormtrooper, and helped their vehicle escape into a large elevator. After being discovered by Adam, they escaped into a room, the door shutting behind them. Adam’s lightsaber suddenly sliced through the ceiling, its red glow cutting a hole into it, earning a genuine “whoa” from Poe. Their cart took them to another area, the right side lined with windows that looked out onto the space battle and massive cannons were on the left, firing off in sequence. 

After sneaking past the cannons and another confrontation with Adam, their cart entered an escape pod, the front windshield giving them a view. The pod abruptly seemed to drop as it separated from the Destroyer. The surprise delightfully thrilled them both as they reached for each other’s hand. The ride turned into a mini version of Star Tours as their escape pod flew them through space and back to land. Their cart backed out of the pod and drifted them to the ride’s exit, Oscar and John’s voices sending them off.

“That was utterly fantastic!” Rey exclaimed as Poe took her hand and helped her out of the ride vehicle. Neither one of them let go as they continued out of the exit, their fingers intertwining with each other.

“That wasn’t just a ride, it was a damn experience! A fully immersive experience. Amazing.” Poe’s face still showed the complete awe he felt. The parkgoers who were still around the exit area, having already gone on the ride or were just coming off of it, carried the same sense of astonishment. Some had teary eyes. Some had mouths that were agape, unable to form the right words to accurately describe Rise of the Resistance.

## Poe

Poe didn’t know if it was the high he got from the ride or what, but after he helped Rey off of it, he continued holding her hand, no longer pulling away with a shy awkwardness. When she slipped her fingers through his own, a broad smile spread on his face.

“Alright. I know it’s been a long day, and it’s only noon. I wouldn’t blame you at all if you were tired and preferred to go home now that we got on the ride,” Rey offered, her voice turning shy but reluctant.

“Absolutely not. I’m here for the full Rey-at-Disneyland experience,” Poe stated, flashing her a grin.

“Okay! Should we do lunch now or go on Smuggler’s Run while we’re over here?” Rey asked, instantly pepping back up.

“How long is the wait?”

“App says 30 minutes.”

“Yeah, I think we can fit that in before lunch.”

Turning to the left, they headed up to the Millenium Falcon ride. They passed by the cast member playing Dasiy, a couple of little girls conversating with her, looking up to her as a hero. Further along, they spotted Chewbacca walking about. 

“Chewie!” Poe exclaimed at the sight of him. 

“We are so getting a picture of you and him together,” Rey said, suddenly pulling him along faster towards the Wookie. 

“Rey, I don’t need a picture with him!” Poe laughed.

“But I do! Chewie! Sir! May I take a picture of you two?” Rey asked. The Wookie spoke up, pointing at her Chewbacca-styled Minnie ears. “How about this?” she asked, sliding the ears off her own head and onto Poe’s, straightening them out and giving a delighted nod.

Chewie seemed to roar in approval and put his arm around him, posing for Rey’s phone. Poe felt silly, but he totally didn’t mind it, he would do whatever Rey asked of him. And, secretly, he actually did want a picture with Chewbacca.

“I hope you know I’ll be posting that picture,” Rey said, a smile curving the corner of her lips as she placed her Chewie ears back on her head and smoothed out her hair.

“I'm not surprised,” Poe laughed. Overcoming any awkwardness on his part, he once again slipped his hand into hers. They popped into the Droid Depot and Savi's Workshop, and, finding them both very crowded, they decided to hold off on building a lightsaber and droid until another visit. Continuing on to the Millenium Falcon, they joined the end of the line.

“Were you able to go on this ride when you first came here?” Rey asked.

“Actually, yeah, one of the few rides I went on that day.”

“What position did you get?”

“The one in the middle, the gunner. But I definitely want to be one of the pilots.”

“I was a pilot the first time I rode this. I was a wreck, both with my nerves and with my lack of piloting skills,” she smiled.

“If I remember correctly, the pilots weren’t particularly good for my time. I think it has to do with communication with one another.”

After being told of their expedition from the animatronic Hondo Ohnaka, they were sorted into a group of six riders, making up the white flight crew. They were handed white cards, their flight job written on them. Rey grinned at Poe when they received the two pilot cards. While waiting in the Falcon’s lounge for their group to be summoned, Rey pulled Poe next to her to sit at the Dejarik game table. She sat close to him, the tropical scent of her hair filled his nostrils as they leaned towards each other and smiled for the picture a cast member took for them. 

“Cute!” Rey said, looking at the picture on her phone as she slid out so the next group could take a picture there.

“Send that one to me?” Poe asked. She smiled and did as he asked. He posted it to his Instagram story with the words “let the Wookie win” placed just above her decorative ears. _We make a damn fine couple_ , he thought as he admired the picture. Before Rey could catch him staring at it, their group was being called, and they were brought to the cockpit.

Rey turned to the four other strangers that made up their flight crew. “I just want to apologize to you all in advance for my piloting!” she said, a playful grimace on her face. 

Poe could see a particular flight engineer who seemed to drink Rey in with his eyes. _Back off, buddy._

“I’m about to fly the Millennium Falcon,” Poe whispered, taking a seat in the pilot’s chair on the left, responsible for moving the ship side to side.

“Fanboy,” Rey teased. “Okay. I’m sure you’ll be much better at this than me. So, since you said communication probably works better, please tell me when you need me to go up or down.”

“Deal.” Poe did his best to shout out a direction whenever they came upon obstacles and Rey did her best to follow them. 

“3,750? Could have been much worse,” Rey shrugged, looking at their score at the end of the ride.

“I thought your flying was excellent,” that flight engineer told Rey as they stepped out of the cockpit and headed towards the exit.

“Thanks,” Rey said, smiling kindly at him. 

Poe felt a prideful joy at the look on the guy’s face when Rey entwined her fingers with Poe’s. _Will you calm down? She’s not actually your girlfriend. It was bad enough when you felt a tiny prick of jealousy with her attraction to Oscar, who (need I remind you) is a damn fictional character._

“Lunchtime?” Rey asked.

“Definitely. What does my tour guide recommend?”

“Well, if we stick around here in Disneyland, there’s the ever-classic corndog cart. Hungry Bear has a good chicken sandwich. Cafe Orleans’ pommes frites are scrumptious. The skewers are good at Bengal Barbecue. Plaza Inn’s fried chicken meal is good and filling. Jolly Holiday has sandwiches and salads and sweets. If we head over to California Adventure, there are the bread cones filled with chili or mac & cheese in Cars Land. There’s a good turkey sandwich on really great sourdough along with bread bowls filled with soup at Pacific Wharf. Lamplight Lounge has a few tasty things. And Smokejumpers Grill has a good chili cheeseburger and huge s’mores.”

“Wow. You really are like a personal tour guide,” Poe stated, amazed with her park food knowledge.

“There’s also the actual restaurants in Downtown Disney. I love the tableside guacamole and street tacos at Tortilla Jo’s. The Jazz Kitchen is always a good choice. Ballast Point is good and obviously has a wide selection of beer. The woodfire pizza is good at Naples. And then there’s the yummy burgers and crazy-ass shakes at Black Tap.”

“Black Tap is the one that opened last year, yeah? I wanted to try it out when I came for Galaxy’s Edge, but the line to get in was ridiculously long.”

“Let’s go there! The waits for it have calmed down significantly since it first opened.”

“You sure? You listed so many options, you don’t want any of those?”

“Yup. I’m always up for devouring a burger. One condition though - you have to share one of their monstrous shakes with me.”

“I guess,” Poe said, feigning reluctance. Rey squeezed the hand that she held.

## Rey

“Not much of a line at all!” Rey exclaimed when they came upon the restaurant. It didn’t take long until they were ordering their food and sitting at a table on the patio. 

“So do you have any traditions when you come here? A ride or something you have to do before you leave?” Poe asked, leaning back in his chair and fixing his warm eyes on hers.

“I was doing the penny press thing, finding a different machine each time I came and get a pressed penny souvenir. I’m kinda over that, though. I want to start something new, collect a different souvenir.”

“Like what? Stuffed animals?”

“Nah, that would take up too much room when the collection grows. I’m thinking something along the lines of the trading pins. Picking out one each time I come. The assortment is huge and ever-changing. And I can keep them in a binder at home - perfectly labeled with the date I bought it, of course.”

“Of course,” Poe laughed and nodded.

Eventually, their burgers were brought to their table, the Texan for Poe and the pizza burger for Rey. “It’s a good thing we’re walking a lot today,” she commented as they dug in. 

Poe’s eyes grew big as their Churro Choco Taco Shake was placed between them. “How the hell are you supposed to eat this beast?”

“You can’t think about it, you just have to dive in with confidence,” Rey suggested, readying her spoon for the attack.

Once their stomachs were insanely full, they slowly made their way to California Adventure. Their hands joined as soon as they left the restaurant, an unspoken habit now. Through Downtown Disney, the California Adventure entrance and its plaza, they strolled until they reached Pixar Pier. _He’s reaching for my hand just as often as I reach for his_ , she smiled to herself.

Rey pulled him into yet another picture, although he certainly didn’t seem to mind, with a PhotoPass photographer posing them in front of the Pixar Pal-Around ferris wheel. They stood close, Poe’s arm around her waist, Rey turned in towards him with her hand on his chest.

“You two are so cute together,” the photographer whispered to Rey as she scanned in Rey’s PhotoPass code.

“Thanks,” Rey smiled and looked back to Poe, who was watching the ferris wheel turn.

“I’m willing to guess you’ve been on that,” Poe asked her when she rejoined him.

“Of course. Don’t tell me you’re scared of it!”

“Ferris wheels in general always freaked me out, and in this one, you’re basically locked in a steel cage and hanging over the water. And then they add the cages that slide back and forth on a track as the wheel goes around? No, thank you.”

“But that’s the best part! I’ll get you on it one day, Dameron,” she determinedly said. 

“You will not, Solo, no matter how many times we come back here. It’s a damn death trap.”

They walked under the Pixar Pier sign, Rey stopping them once again to take a selfie with the back of the sign reading, “Adventure is out there!” 

“I feel like I should apologize for the constant selfies. You know me, I love pictures. But this seems like the hundredth one I’ve pulled you into so far,” she admitted.

“No need to apologize, I don’t mind. Plus, Up is one of my favorite Pixar movies. That and Wall-E.”

“Good. Up’s my favorite too.” Walking along the pier, the opening ukulele chords for the I Lava You song from the Lava short played over the speakers. ”Ooooh, I love this song. The short is my favorite. It’s so dreamy and wistful, romantic and hopeful. It’s absolutely perfect,” Rey declared. _And I think the earth, sea, and sky up above has sent me someone to lava - it just took me way too long to see it_ , she thought. _Okay, that was pretty cheesy, even for you, girl_.

Coming upon Pixar-themed billboards that lined the pier, Rey made them stop in front of the one of Wall-E, enlisting a nearby parkgoer to take their picture. Rey smiled when she looked at the result. They stood to the side of the adorable Wall-E and Eve, the words “find your special moment” written above them, Rey surprising Poe with a kiss on the cheek, Poe’s face a little flushed and an elated smile playing on his lips. Without giving it a second thought, she posted it to Instagram.

Continuing on, they finally reached Toy Story Mania, scanning their FastPasses to skip a majority of the long line. 

“While I can get really competitive on this ride, especially when I ride with Finn, we’re going to have to work together on some things.”

“How do we work together on this?” Poe asked, accepting two yellow 3D glasses from the cast member.

Rey handed him her phone, an article displayed on the screen. “Here are the tricks for each game on the ride. Give it a quick read. If we accomplish them, we’re able to score more points. One or two of them aren’t really worth the hassle, but I’ll give try to remind you of them when we come to each game.”

## Poe

As Poe was reading over how to make a secret giant robot appear in the alien ring toss section of the ride, an Instagram notification popped up on Rey’s phone. Rose was replying to the story Rey had posted. 

**_Rose_ **: Oh, come on, Rey! You can’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about!

_Hmmm. Interesting_ , Poe thought before he continued reading the article, not wanting to let Rey down on the ride. 

Once their vehicle pulled up to the gate, Poe handed the phone back, and they hopped in. They spun this way and that until they reached the first screen. Poe did his best to carry out the tricks with each game. By the time they finished the last game with the falling mine carts, Poe’s arm felt like it would fall off from pulling his shooter’s cord so much and so fast. 

“Woo! I win!” Rey exclaimed when their scores appeared. She whipped out her phone to take a picture of it, her 245,000 next to his 198,000. “I obviously need to post this so I can continue to establish my dominance.”

“But, I have the better accuracy score!”

“Sometimes you just gotta make it rain, babe,” she stated.

_‘Babe,’ I can certainly get used to hearing her call me that_ , he thought.

“The Incredicoaster while we’re over here? The line usually moves pretty quickly,” Rey suggested, finishing up her post.

“Let’s do it. I don’t think I’ve been on it since it changed from California Screamin’.”

Joining the line, Rey looked at the FastPass list while Poe checked his own phone, realizing he hadn’t done so in a while. A number of notifications, mainly replies to his posted stories, were listed on the screen.

**_Beaumont_ **: Rey’s looking pretty hot, put in a good word for me...unless something’s already going on between you two…

**_Connix_ **: If this is a date, I approve of it.

**_Jess_ **: What’s going on between you and Rey??

**_Snap_ **: Has my little Dameron gotten himself a lovely woman?

_Jesus. What have I done? It was just two pictures. Granted, that last one was us together, but still._

**_Jannah_ **: So, considering yours and Rey’s stories, are you officially joining the Solo family? Like, through marriage? Cuz I’m all for it.

_What the fuck?_

**_Finn_ **: You can thank me for my brilliant idea later. You and your new girlfriend can think of something special to get me. Side note - I would accept a new truck as a form of payment.

_If something were to come out of this day, he’d never let me forget it was because of him_ , Poe thought. He slid his phone back in his pocket so Rey couldn’t see all of the embarrassing messages.

“Indiana Jones FastPasses at 3:40 sound good?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Scoring one of the back rows on the ride, just as Rey was hoping for (“It feels faster!”), they took off, the quick water-steps from Dash leading them. The classic-style rollercoaster took them up and down and around with The Incredibles characters popping up along the way.

“Am I crazy, or was there a scent being pumped into one of those tunnels?” Poe asked as they walked out of the ride.

“Yeah, Jack-Jack’s Cookie Num Nums! And they actually sell the cookies right there,” Rey said, pointing to a cart right after they cleared the exit area.

“Well, that’s smart product placement.”

“If I wasn’t still insanely stuffed from our lunch, I’d suggest we get one, they’re warm and delicious. How about we relax for a few on the Little Mermaid ride on our way out of here?”

Poe and Rey walked through the rest of Pixar Pier, passing by the entrance to the Pixar Pal-Around, Rey once again promising she would get Poe on that ride one day. Passing the newer Inside Out ride, Silly Symphony Swings, and Goofy’s Sky School, they reached Paradise Gardens Park. They hopped into the very short line for Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.

“So which is your favorite Disney princess? Ariel?” Poe asked as they slid into a giant, green clamshell. 

“I do love Ariel, despite her teenage brattiness,” Rey laughed, seeming to snuggle into his side a little. Poe, finding himself braver and braver as the day wore on, grabbed her hand, and entangled his fingers with hers. “But I’ve also always loved Belle. And Rapunzel, for the newer princesses. Ariel might win with that hair. And her Part of Your World song. But I identify more with Belle and love her songs too. I don’t know, it’s really a toss-up.”

After their clam passed by Scuttle, it tipped them back as it slowly took them under the sea. Rey took the moment to lay her head on Poe’s shoulder, Poe tilting his own to rest against the top of her head. They came upon Ariel in her treasure-filled grotto, Rey quietly singing her song with her own lovely voice. Coming upon the Kiss the Girl boat scene, Poe couldn’t help but think of Finn as Sebastian sang “looks like the boy’s too shy, ain’t gonna try to kiss the girl.” _Maybe I should try to kiss her?_ he thought. _No, that’s way too cliche to do it to this song. And just because she seems to enjoy holding your hand, does not mean she wants you to kiss her. Rey has always been friendly and affectionate with everyone. Maybe not you, until today. But still._

“Doesn’t she look like a child bride there?” Rey asked as they were nearing the end with the wedding scene.

“Well, she is supposed to only be 16, right?”

“Yes, but right here, she legit looks 10 and playing dress-up in her mom’s very 80’s wedding gown!”

After exiting California Adventure once again, Poe began to pull them towards the ticket booths in the esplanade.

“What’s happening? Aren’t we heading to Indiana Jones?” Rey asked.

“Yup. I just have to do something first.” 

Rey furrowed her eyebrows but continued to let him pull her along. 

“I’d like to purchase an annual pass, please,” Poe asked the cast member when they reached a ticket booth window. Rey’s eyes went wide and she beamed a huge smile at him.

“I’m so excited, Poe!” she exclaimed after the purchase was finished.

“Well, we’ve already made plans for other Disney trips, might as well get the pass,” Poe said as nonchalantly as he could. 

“We can be each other’s go-to Disney date!”

“I like the sound of that.” Poe wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her close against him, her own arm wrapping around his back, as they walked towards the Disneyland entrance.

## Rey

“You know the big boulder scene on the ride where it looks like it’s going to crush you?” Rey asked as they wound through the long queue of Indiana Jones Adventure. Poe gave her a nod. “One year, when we were all kids, I tricked Finn into thinking that it’s real when he finally went on the ride.”

“It worked?”

“It sure did on little 9-year-old Finn. He was too scared to go on it for a year or two, always staying with my mom while I went on it with my dad, then he finally decided he was brave enough. I had him spooked before the ride started, warning him of accidents that happen on it. When the car stalls out on the bridge, he began panicking, thinking another car would crash into us from behind. And later, when the boulder starts rolling towards you, he started yelling, ‘what are we going to do?’ Mom was not happy with me. Dad, on the other hand, was trying not to laugh.”

“You were so mean. But, also, I need to make a mental note of that story so I can make fun of Finn someday,” Poe laughed.

“He did teach me how to get the best FastPasses, though. His little trick of refreshing the list whenever you’re looking for a new one, even if all the passes for a certain ride have been distributed for the day, has just gotten us passes for Radiator Springs Racers at 5:25! Which means we’ll be on the ride during sunset and dusk, the best time to ride it, in my opinion.”

After entering the glittering gold doors of the temple, their vehicle rolled and bumped them along through the ride’s obstacles. They shared a knowing laugh when they came to the big boulder.

“Haunted Mansion? It’s only at twenty minutes and it’s still the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay,” Rey suggested after they got off the ride. 

“Let’s go,” Poe said. Rey slipped her hand into his and they walked off.

_My Disney date_ , she thought affectionately, taking a quick glance at him. _And now I get to come here all the time with him_.

Once they got through the line, down the stretching room, and into a doom buggy, Poe casually placed his arm around her. Rey leaned back and nestled into his side, his arm drawing her closer. Rey took a chance and let her hand rest on his thigh. _Just testing the waters_ , she told herself. The slow-paced dark ride took them through the still-Christmassy ride.

“We have time to do another one before we need to head over to Cars Land,” Rey said as they left the mansion.

“Matterhorn?” Poe suggested.

“Yes, sir,” Rey answered and they started making the trek to the big, snow-covered mountain.

“This ride always beats me up,” he said with a laugh as they waited for their bobsled to pull up.

“And you wanted to go on it?” she asked incredulously.

“Have to. It’s a classic.”

Rey just smiled and shook her head.

The rough ride flung them through the cavernous mountain and by the abominable snowman. Once off the ride, Poe shook out his knees and gave them a little rub.

“Come on, old man, let’s head to Cars Land,” Rey teased.

She knew she had quite a few messages on her phone she hadn’t gotten back to. Namely from Rose, Jannah, and Finn and all specifically about what the hell was going on between her and Poe. Too content on just being in the moment in her favorite place with him, she decided to wait to answer their messages until after the day was over. 

“They did a really good job with this area, it feels like you’re in the movie,” Poe commented as they walked through the well-designed Cars Land. The sun was setting to their right, giving off a pretty glow.

After scanning in their passes, they breezed through their designated lane and were eventually placed into a candy apple red car. The slowly darkening sky made the relaxing drive through Ornament Valley even more beautiful. Taking a trip through Radiator Springs, the town’s residents popped up here and there. Their race with the blue car next to them ended in a loss. “Son of a bitch,” Rey muttered as the blue car pulled away right before the finish line. Poe laughed at her competitiveness. 

“Anything else here in California Adventure we still need to go on?” Poe asked, taking her hand as they came back out to the street of Cars Land.

“Um. There’s Monsters Inc. and a couple of smaller rides. I’d say we just head back to Disneyland.” 

“Alrighty. What about our next FastPass?”

“Big Thunder at 7:55?”

“Absolutely.”

“Let’s head to Fantasyland. We haven’t done any of the rides there yet.” They began the trek back to the older theme park. Rey snuck a look at Poe, she could see the tiredness showing in his eyes. “You know, we could go home,” Rey offered, feeling bad.

“No, no, no, I’m in this for the long haul,” Poe responded decidedly.

“You’re not just saying that to keep me happy, though, right? I don’t want to be the only reason why you’re still puttering around when you desperately just want to sleep.”

“Geez, how old do you think I am?” he laughed, giving her a playfully scornful look. “And I’m having fun, I want to be here still.”

“Okay, how about we leave right after the fireworks? And if you feel like you’re going to crash and burn before that, you have to tell me and we leave.”

“Deal.”

After taking a selfie in front of the magical glowing castle, their cheeks pressed together, they entered Fantasyland. 

“I’ll never understand why there’s always such a long wait for this ride. It never fails,” Rey remarked as they joined the forty-minute queue for Peter Pan’s Flight. To waste time, Rey opened up her Heads Up app. Poe only agreed to play if Rey didn’t get to guess anything Disney related. Instead, he gave her clues for blockbuster movies, animals, and sports while she hinted at food, Disney characters, and superstars for him. The more they played, the louder they would get, having to tone it down every now and then and do their best not to curse in front of the surrounding children. Which is what usually happened at Solo game nights.

“I won! Again!” Rey laughed, taunting him.

“I’m convinced it’s because you’ve played the game so much that you just know the answers.”

“Whatever makes you feel less like a loser,” she said with a cheeky smile.

Poe’s jaw dropped at her remark. “Get over here,” he laughed, pulling her against him and tickling her sides.

“I take it back!” Rey managed to get out, huddling into his chest, and laughing uncontrollably. Poe stopped his tickling fingers and just wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest. Rey closed her eyes and nuzzled her face into his neck. Whenever the line moved, Poe would walk them forward. Having to separate to get into their little pirate ship, they resumed cuddling as it flew them through the Darlings’ bedroom, over London, and off to Neverland.

Hopping to the building next door, they joined the much shorter line for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Getting behind the wheel of the motorcar, Poe took the wheel. “Where to, my lady?”

“To the stars,” Rey said dreamily.

“Did - did you just quote Titanic? More specifically, quoted Titanic’s sex scene on a kid’s ride in Fantasyland?” Poe laughed.

“Maybe,” she answered before their motorcar began to whip them through each scene of the ride.

Upon their exit from Mr. Toad’s, Rey dragged him over to Dumbo. Using the joystick, she flew them up and down as the ride circled around and around. Poe took a picture of her from the side, hands on the joystick, an innocent smile on her face, and hair blowing around from the crisp night air.

Next up was the nearby Mad Tea Party. “We have to grab that lavender-colored teacup over there,” Rey said, pointing at one of the purple, spinning cups as they waited for their turn. “It’s the fastest spinning one.”

“Really?”

“Well, supposedly, it’s a myth. But whenever I come here with the Finn, we _always_ try to get that one. We still believe it.”

As soon as the gate was opened, Poe ran to the designated cup on the farther end of the party, beating out other riders. He smiled proudly at Rey.

“My hero,” she laughed, sliding in and placing her lips on his cheek. His proud smile didn’t fade away at that. Using his rather beautiful arm muscles, Poe spun them around as fast as he could. Rey helped in the beginning but then tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and giggled uncontrollably.

Going next door to Alice in Wonderland, they enjoyed the slow-winding ride snuggled together in the back row of a pink caterpillar.

By the time they were through with Alice, their Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FastPasses had come up, the last ride of their day. Skipping a big chunk of the long line, they stood on the stairs that led to the loading area. Rey glanced behind her at Poe as he stood a little lower on the steps, swearing she just saw his eyes on her rear. _Is Poe Dameron checking out my ass?_ she smiled to herself and continued up the stairs as the line moved.

The ride was beautiful at night, the rocks and peaks lit up in colorful lights. Luckily, they again scored the back row, where Rey thought the ride felt fastest. She threw her hands up in the air as the speed picked up, however, out of habit, she’d pull her arms down and slightly duck her head every time they dipped into a cave.

“Are you ducking?” Poe laughed as the ride slowly took them up a steep climb.

“It feels like my hands and head are going to get chopped off, the ceilings feel so low! In my mind, I know it’s not going to happen, but I still can’t help it!”

Thankfully, the thrill ride woke them up a little, and they were ready to wait for the fireworks show.

“You’ve gotta be hungry by now,” Rey said.

“I can definitely eat something, but not anything too big. More like a good-sized snack,” Poe said, wrapping his arm around her again.

“May I suggest their classic corn dog then?”

“That does sound good. Is that what you want?”

“I’m still not terribly hungry. I think I’m just gonna order a Dole Whip and grab it while we make our way over to the corn dog cart.” She whipped out her phone to put in the mobile order, ignoring the texts from Rose, begging to know if something happened between her and Poe. 

Swinging by the Tiki Juice Bar, she picked up her refreshing treat.

“You’re not cold eating that?” Poe asked as they got in the corn dog line.

“Nope, I actually like eating ice cream when it’s cold out. Would you like a bite?”

“Sure.” 

Rey slid a spoonful into his mouth. _I wish I was that spoon_ , she thought as she hypnotically watched. _Alright, you’re definitely tired_. Finding a small table nearby, they finished up their snacks.

## Poe

“Shall we shop for Paige while we wait for the fireworks? That way, we can be completely done once the show ends,” Rey proposed

“Good idea. Let’s do that.”

They stood in front of the stuffed animal section, taking in their many options. “Do we stay on our theme of Star Wars?” Rey asked, picking up a stuffed porg. “Or do we go classic, like Mickey or Minnie?”

“Hmmm. That’s difficult. I want to get her into Star Wars, but it’s a little early, she’s barely one, she’s not going to understand yet. So maybe something more Disney classic.” Poe looked around at the selection and remembered how the toddler always lit up with excitement when she was around Poe’s dog Bebe. “She does like dogs.”

“Pluto?”

“Classic character and a dog. Pluto it is,” Poe said, picking up the cute stuffed animal.

“Yay! Okay, now let’s find some pins. I’m dragging you into my new tradition. We’ll each pick a pin whenever we come here,” Rey said as she pulled Poe through the store towards the trading pin section.

_She wants me in on her tradition? That’s definitely a good sign,_ Poe thought, smiling. “Wow, how am I supposed to choose from all of these?”

“We came here specifically for Rise of the Resistance today, so let’s stick with the theme of Star Wars.” She picked up a cartoonish looking Stormtrooper, the end of his blaster carrying a sign saying ‘pew, pew.’ “I need this one, it’s stinkin’ adorable.”

Poe scanned the displays filled with pins. He picked out an orange and black one, the Rebel Alliance symbol in the middle and ‘Rise of the Resistance’ written around it. “I found it. Straight to the point,” Poe nodded. Before he turned back to Rey, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

“I’ll hold on to it. I’m going to run to the clothing section really quick, I’ve been meaning to find a cute new Minnie shirt.”

“Okay, I’ll catch up with you in a minute. I’m just going to give the pins another look through to make sure I got the best one.” As soon as she was out of sight, Poe bent down to one of the lower rows of pins. The one that caught his eye was from the Lava Pixar short. It showed the two volcanoes holding each other with ‘I Lava You” written on the bottom. As quick as he could, he grabbed it and went to the cashier, purchasing the pin and Pluto before Rey found him. Once the transaction was complete, he slid the pin and receipt into his pocket, carrying the bag with Pluto inside.

“I’m not feeling their selection today,” Rey said, wandering back to him as he came to find her. “Find a different pin?”

“Nope, I’m happy with that one.”

“Good. Let me go pay for them now, then we can find a spot for the fireworks.”

“No, let me, Rey,” Poe said, offering to take them.

“Absolutely not. You paid for all of our meals today, let me at least do this for you. Plus, I’m the one that’s dragging you into this new tradition.”

“Technically, you’re not ‘dragging’ me into it, I really like the idea.”

“Good, because I plan to keep this going for many years to come.”

Dropping the newly purchased Star Wars pins into the bag with Pluto, they made their way back out to Main Street and the hub, jampacked with guests waiting for the show.

Finally, at 9:30, the music started playing, graphics flashing on the castle. The music was quite annoying in Poe’s opinion, taking classic Disney songs and putting them to a dance beat with Mickey as the DJ, but at least the fireworks were excellent. 

He tried paying more attention to the bright and colorful show in front of him. But he often found himself turning his gaze upon Rey, huddled under his arm next to him. A flash of red from a sparkling firework lit up her face. He tried to tell himself to turn away, to not be so obvious, but he didn’t care anymore. He wanted her to know how he felt about her. He didn’t want to continue hiding it, although he wasn’t doing a great job of hiding it with all the hand-holding and snuggling they were doing. Something in him told him he wasn’t alone in his feelings.

Sensing his gaze, Rey turned her head towards him. Her beautiful eyes reflected the sparks in the sky. Her smile was small and shy but knowing. Her eyes drank in his until they traveled down to his lips and back to his eyes again. Poe knew what he had to do. He knew it was one of the most cliche things in the world to do it here, in front of the castle, under the fireworks, but that didn’t matter in the slightest. His thumb gently brushed against her cheek as his hand slid through her silky hair behind her ear. Cradling her head in his rough palm, Poe’s lips met Rey’s. Their kiss was sweet and unhurried. Her hands wrapped around his back, pressing him closer against her. So lost in her kiss, Poe couldn’t even register the show’s finale, the fireworks rapidly bursting in the sky in quick succession. It wasn’t until the show was over, and parkgoers starting to disperse in every direction, that they reluctantly pulled away. Poe breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ve been waiting for that all day,” Rey whispered and smiled. “Let’s go home.”

The drive back to Rey’s house was thankfully short. As soon as they had walked out of the park, the exhaustion hit them. Even though Poe insisted she could sleep on the ride home, Rey swore she’d stay awake with him as he drove, but she promptly passed out before they even made it to the freeway. _Do I go home after we get to her house? Do I stay over? Does she want me to stay over? Does she think I expect something from her?_ Poe worried as he drove them along. He wanted to stay over, of course, and he’d love to hold her through the night. But he’d leave that totally up to her. “We’re here, Rey,” Poe whispered, rubbing his thumb along her arm. She stirred awake and smiled at him. They got out of the car and entered the house. Climbing the stairs, Poe was unsure what to do again. _She hasn’t said anything, should I start packing up my things?_

“It’s been a very long day. You should stay here tonight,” Rey suggested with a yawn when they reached the landing.

_Thank God_. “I would love that, if you would like me to.”

“I would like you to,” Rey nearly whispered as she stood in her bedroom’s doorway.

“Then I would love to,” Poe whispered. Rey jerked her head back towards the interior of her room and held her hand out. He took it, of course, and followed her in.

Tired, lazy kisses carried them off to sleep. Poe held her in his arms, their bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces. 

## Epilogue

A couple of years later, on a sunny spring day, the whole Solo family took a trip to the Disneyland Resort. Just before sunset (the golden hour for pictures, as Rose would inform him as he planned this), the family “randomly” found themselves back in the main hub area by the castle. Coming upon the spot where they had their first kiss, their first magic moment, Poe got down on one knee and proposed to the love of his life in front of her family. He knew proposing here, by the castle, was just as cliche as their first kiss under the fireworks. None of that mattered. This was the spot where he knew for sure that she was the one.

Rey’s answer was an astounding yes, tears streaming from her eyes. She pulled him back up to his feet and nearly knocked him over with her kiss. When they finally separated, Poe pulled the pin from his pocket and offered it to her.

“I lava you,” she read. “You remembered I love that song?”

“I bought this on our first date here, knowing I would give it to you someday.”

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. She sighed at her fiance’s romanticness. And then her lips found his again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Magic Moment by Lake Street Drive (originally sung by The Drifters)
> 
> This magic moment / So different and so new / Was like any other / Until I kissed you
> 
> And then it happened / It took me by surprise / I knew that you felt it too / By the look in your eyes
> 
> Sweeter than wine / Softer than a summer night / Everything I want I have / Whenever I hold you tight
> 
> This magic moment / While your lips are close to mine / Will last forever / Forever, till the end of time
> 
> Sweeter than wine / Softer than a summer night / Everything I want to have / Whenever I hold you tight
> 
> This magic moment / While your lips are close to mine / Will last forever / Forever, till the end of time
> 
> (I do not own these characters, lyrics, or images)


	4. This Magic Moment (non-spoilery)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Rey continue their day at Disneyland. (Without the Rise of the Resistance spoilers)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***If you already read chapter 3, there's no reason to read this one!***
> 
> This chapter was inspired by This Magic Moment by Lake Street Drive (lyrics in the end notes).

## Rey

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” Rey was nearly jumping up and down from excitement as they reentered Galaxy’s Edge. The two managed to keep their enthusiasm in check as they made their way through Adventureland and along the Rivers of America to Critter Country. It was hard to contain it now that the ambient sounds of Batuu could be heard through the area. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along the path at a slightly faster pace.

They reached the ride’s entrance and she squeezed his hand, turning to share a smile with him. _I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile like this before_ , she thought. Of course, she’d seen him smile over the years. There were his classic handsome smiles, understated ones, goofy grins he got with Paige, and many more. But the smiles he was giving her today were on another level. _And for only my enjoyment_ , she thought happily.

* * *

_The Rise of the Resistance ride description has been omitted._

* * *

“That was utterly fantastic!” Rey exclaimed as Poe took her hand and helped her out of the ride vehicle. Neither one of them let go as they continued out of the exit, their fingers intertwining with each other.

“That wasn’t just a ride, it was a damn experience! A fully immersive experience. Amazing.” Poe’s face still showed the complete awe he felt. The parkgoers who were still around the exit area, having already gone on the ride or were just coming off of it, carried the same sense of astonishment. Some had teary eyes. Some had mouths that were agape, unable to form the right words to accurately describe Rise of the Resistance.

## Poe

Poe didn’t know if it was the high he got from the ride or what, but after he helped Rey off of it, he continued holding her hand, no longer pulling away with a shy awkwardness. When she slipped her fingers through his own, a broad smile spread on his face.

“Alright. I know it’s been a long day, and it’s only noon. I wouldn’t blame you at all if you were tired and preferred to go home now that we got on the ride,” Rey offered, her voice turning shy but reluctant.

“Absolutely not. I’m here for the full Rey-at-Disneyland experience,” Poe stated, flashing her a grin.

“Okay! Should we do lunch now or go on Smuggler’s Run while we’re over here?” Rey asked, instantly pepping back up.

“How long is the wait?”

“App says 30 minutes.”

“Yeah, I think we can fit that in before lunch.”

Turning to the left, they headed up to the Millenium Falcon ride. They passed by the cast member playing Dasiy, a couple of little girls conversating with her, looking up to her as a hero. Further along, they spotted Chewbacca walking about. 

“Chewie!” Poe exclaimed at the sight of him. 

“We are so getting a picture of you and him together,” Rey said, suddenly pulling him along faster towards the Wookie. 

“Rey, I don’t need a picture with him!” Poe laughed.

“But I do! Chewie! Sir! May I take a picture of you two?” Rey asked. The Wookie spoke up, pointing at her Chewbacca-styled Minnie ears. “How about this?” she asked, sliding the ears off her own head and onto Poe’s, straightening them out and giving a delighted nod.

Chewie seemed to roar in approval and put his arm around him, posing for Rey’s phone. Poe felt silly, but he totally didn’t mind it, he would do whatever Rey asked of him. And, secretly, he actually did want a picture with Chewbacca.

“I hope you know I’ll be posting that picture,” Rey said, a smile curving the corner of her lips as she placed her Chewie ears back on her head and smoothed out her hair.

“I'm not surprised,” Poe laughed. Overcoming any awkwardness on his part, he once again slipped his hand into hers. They popped into the Droid Depot and Savi's Workshop, and, finding them both very crowded, they decided to hold off on building a lightsaber and droid until another visit. Continuing on to the Millenium Falcon, they joined the end of the line.

“Were you able to go on this ride when you first came here?” Rey asked.

“Actually, yeah, one of the few rides I went on that day.”

“What position did you get?”

“The one in the middle, the gunner. But I definitely want to be one of the pilots.”

“I was a pilot the first time I rode this. I was a wreck, both with my nerves and with my lack of piloting skills,” she smiled.

“If I remember correctly, the pilots weren’t particularly good for my time. I think it has to do with communication with one another.”

After being told of their expedition from the animatronic Hondo Ohnaka, they were sorted into a group of six riders, making up the white flight crew. They were handed white cards, their flight job written on them. Rey grinned at Poe when they received the two pilot cards. While waiting in the Falcon’s lounge for their group to be summoned, Rey pulled Poe next to her to sit at the Dejarik game table. She sat close to him, the tropical scent of her hair filled his nostrils as they leaned towards each other and smiled for the picture a cast member took for them. 

“Cute!” Rey said, looking at the picture on her phone as she slid out so the next group could take a picture there.

“Send that one to me?” Poe asked. She smiled and did as he asked. He posted it to his Instagram story with the words “let the Wookie win” placed just above her decorative ears. _We make a damn fine couple_ , he thought as he admired the picture. Before Rey could catch him staring at it, their group was being called, and they were brought to the cockpit.

Rey turned to the four other strangers that made up their flight crew. “I just want to apologize to you all in advance for my piloting!” she said, a playful grimace on her face. 

Poe could see a particular flight engineer who seemed to drink Rey in with his eyes. _Back off, buddy._

“I’m about to fly the Millennium Falcon,” Poe whispered, taking a seat in the pilot’s chair on the left, responsible for moving the ship side to side.

“Fanboy,” Rey teased. “Okay. I’m sure you’ll be much better at this than me. So, since you said communication probably works better, please tell me when you need me to go up or down.”

“Deal.” Poe did his best to shout out a direction whenever they came upon obstacles and Rey did her best to follow them. 

“3,750? Could have been much worse,” Rey shrugged, looking at their score at the end of the ride.

“I thought your flying was excellent,” that flight engineer told Rey as they stepped out of the cockpit and headed towards the exit.

“Thanks,” Rey said, smiling kindly at him. 

Poe felt a prideful joy at the look on the guy’s face when Rey entwined her fingers with Poe’s. _Will you calm down? She’s not actually your girlfriend. It was bad enough when you felt a tiny prick of jealousy with her attraction to Oscar, who (need I remind you) is a damn fictional character._

“Lunchtime?” Rey asked.

“Definitely. What does my tour guide recommend?”

“Well, if we stick around here in Disneyland, there’s the ever-classic corndog cart. Hungry Bear has a good chicken sandwich. Cafe Orleans’ pommes frites are scrumptious. The skewers are good at Bengal Barbecue. Plaza Inn’s fried chicken meal is good and filling. Jolly Holiday has sandwiches and salads and sweets. If we head over to California Adventure, there are the bread cones filled with chili or mac & cheese in Cars Land. There’s a good turkey sandwich on really great sourdough along with bread bowls filled with soup at Pacific Wharf. Lamplight Lounge has a few tasty things. And Smokejumpers Grill has a good chili cheeseburger and huge s’mores.”

“Wow. You really are like a personal tour guide,” Poe stated, amazed with her park food knowledge.

“There’s also the actual restaurants in Downtown Disney. I love the tableside guacamole and street tacos at Tortilla Jo’s. The Jazz Kitchen is always a good choice. Ballast Point is good and obviously has a wide selection of beer. The woodfire pizza is good at Naples. And then there’s the yummy burgers and crazy-ass shakes at Black Tap.”

“Black Tap is the one that opened last year, yeah? I wanted to try it out when I came for Galaxy’s Edge, but the line to get in was ridiculously long.”

“Let’s go there! The waits for it have calmed down significantly since it first opened.”

“You sure? You listed so many options, you don’t want any of those?”

“Yup. I’m always up for devouring a burger. One condition though - you have to share one of their monstrous shakes with me.”

“I guess,” Poe said, feigning reluctance. Rey squeezed the hand that she held.

## Rey

“Not much of a line at all!” Rey exclaimed when they came upon the restaurant. It didn’t take long until they were ordering their food and sitting at a table on the patio. 

“So do you have any traditions when you come here? A ride or something you have to do before you leave?” Poe asked, leaning back in his chair and fixing his warm eyes on hers.

“I was doing the penny press thing, finding a different machine each time I came and get a pressed penny souvenir. I’m kinda over that, though. I want to start something new, collect a different souvenir.”

“Like what? Stuffed animals?”

“Nah, that would take up too much room when the collection grows. I’m thinking something along the lines of the trading pins. Picking out one each time I come. The assortment is huge and ever-changing. And I can keep them in a binder at home - perfectly labeled with the date I bought it, of course.”

“Of course,” Poe laughed and nodded.

Eventually, their burgers were brought to their table, the Texan for Poe and the pizza burger for Rey. “It’s a good thing we’re walking a lot today,” she commented as they dug in. 

Poe’s eyes grew big as their Churro Choco Taco Shake was placed between them. “How the hell are you supposed to eat this beast?”

“You can’t think about it, you just have to dive in with confidence,” Rey suggested, readying her spoon for the attack.

Once their stomachs were insanely full, they slowly made their way to California Adventure. Their hands joined as soon as they left the restaurant, an unspoken habit now. Through Downtown Disney, the California Adventure entrance and its plaza, they strolled until they reached Pixar Pier. _He’s reaching for my hand just as often as I reach for his_ , she smiled to herself.

Rey pulled him into yet another picture, although he certainly didn’t seem to mind, with a PhotoPass photographer posing them in front of the Pixar Pal-Around ferris wheel. They stood close, Poe’s arm around her waist, Rey turned in towards him with her hand on his chest.

“You two are so cute together,” the photographer whispered to Rey as she scanned in Rey’s PhotoPass code.

“Thanks,” Rey smiled and looked back to Poe, who was watching the ferris wheel turn.

“I’m willing to guess you’ve been on that,” Poe asked her when she rejoined him.

“Of course. Don’t tell me you’re scared of it!”

“Ferris wheels in general always freaked me out, and in this one, you’re basically locked in a steel cage and hanging over the water. And then they add the cages that slide back and forth on a track as the wheel goes around? No, thank you.”

“But that’s the best part! I’ll get you on it one day, Dameron,” she determinedly said. 

“You will not, Solo, no matter how many times we come back here. It’s a damn death trap.”

They walked under the Pixar Pier sign, Rey stopping them once again to take a selfie with the back of the sign reading, “Adventure is out there!” 

“I feel like I should apologize for the constant selfies. You know me, I love pictures. But this seems like the hundredth one I’ve pulled you into so far,” she admitted.

“No need to apologize, I don’t mind. Plus, Up is one of my favorite Pixar movies. That and Wall-E.”

“Good. Up’s my favorite too.” Walking along the pier, the opening ukulele chords for the I Lava You song from the Lava short played over the speakers. ”Ooooh, I love this song. The short is my favorite. It’s so dreamy and wistful, romantic and hopeful. It’s absolutely perfect,” Rey declared. _And I think the earth, sea, and sky up above has sent me someone to lava - it just took me way too long to see it_ , she thought. _Okay, that was pretty cheesy, even for you, girl_.

Coming upon Pixar-themed billboards that lined the pier, Rey made them stop in front of the one of Wall-E, enlisting a nearby parkgoer to take their picture. Rey smiled when she looked at the result. They stood to the side of the adorable Wall-E and Eve, the words “find your special moment” written above them, Rey surprising Poe with a kiss on the cheek, Poe’s face a little flushed and an elated smile playing on his lips. Without giving it a second thought, she posted it to Instagram.

Continuing on, they finally reached Toy Story Mania, scanning their FastPasses to skip a majority of the long line. 

“While I can get really competitive on this ride, especially when I ride with Finn, we’re going to have to work together on some things.”

“How do we work together on this?” Poe asked, accepting two yellow 3D glasses from the cast member.

Rey handed him her phone, an article displayed on the screen. “Here are the tricks for each game on the ride. Give it a quick read. If we accomplish them, we’re able to score more points. One or two of them aren’t really worth the hassle, but I’ll give try to remind you of them when we come to each game.”

## Poe

As Poe was reading over how to make a secret giant robot appear in the alien ring toss section of the ride, an Instagram notification popped up on Rey’s phone. Rose was replying to the story Rey had posted. 

**_Rose_ **: Oh, come on, Rey! You can’t tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about!

_Hmmm. Interesting_ , Poe thought before he continued reading the article, not wanting to let Rey down on the ride. 

Once their vehicle pulled up to the gate, Poe handed the phone back, and they hopped in. They spun this way and that until they reached the first screen. Poe did his best to carry out the tricks with each game. By the time they finished the last game with the falling mine carts, Poe’s arm felt like it would fall off from pulling his shooter’s cord so much and so fast. 

“Woo! I win!” Rey exclaimed when their scores appeared. She whipped out her phone to take a picture of it, her 245,000 next to his 198,000. “I obviously need to post this so I can continue to establish my dominance.”

“But, I have the better accuracy score!”

“Sometimes you just gotta make it rain, babe,” she stated.

_‘Babe,’ I can certainly get used to hearing her call me that_ , he thought.

“The Incredicoaster while we’re over here? The line usually moves pretty quickly,” Rey suggested, finishing up her post.

“Let’s do it. I don’t think I’ve been on it since it changed from California Screamin’.”

Joining the line, Rey looked at the FastPass list while Poe checked his own phone, realizing he hadn’t done so in a while. A number of notifications, mainly replies to his posted stories, were listed on the screen.

**_Beaumont_ **: Rey’s looking pretty hot, put in a good word for me...unless something’s already going on between you two…

**_Connix_ **: If this is a date, I approve of it.

**_Jess_ **: What’s going on between you and Rey??

**_Snap_ **: Has my little Dameron gotten himself a lovely woman?

_Jesus. What have I done? It was just two pictures. Granted, that last one was us together, but still._

**_Jannah_ **: So, considering yours and Rey’s stories, are you officially joining the Solo family? Like, through marriage? Cuz I’m all for it.

_What the fuck?_

**_Finn_ **: You can thank me for my brilliant idea later. You and your new girlfriend can think of something special to get me. Side note - I would accept a new truck as a form of payment.

_If something were to come out of this day, he’d never let me forget it was because of him_ , Poe thought. He slid his phone back in his pocket so Rey couldn’t see all of the embarrassing messages.

“Indiana Jones FastPasses at 3:40 sound good?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Scoring one of the back rows on the ride, just as Rey was hoping for (“It feels faster!”), they took off, the quick water-steps from Dash leading them. The classic-style rollercoaster took them up and down and around with The Incredibles characters popping up along the way.

“Am I crazy, or was there a scent being pumped into one of those tunnels?” Poe asked as they walked out of the ride.

“Yeah, Jack-Jack’s Cookie Num Nums! And they actually sell the cookies right there,” Rey said, pointing to a cart right after they cleared the exit area.

“Well, that’s smart product placement.”

“If I wasn’t still insanely stuffed from our lunch, I’d suggest we get one, they’re warm and delicious. How about we relax for a few on the Little Mermaid ride on our way out of here?”

Poe and Rey walked through the rest of Pixar Pier, passing by the entrance to the Pixar Pal-Around, Rey once again promising she would get Poe on that ride one day. Passing the newer Inside Out ride, Silly Symphony Swings, and Goofy’s Sky School, they reached Paradise Gardens Park. They hopped into the very short line for Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.

“So which is your favorite Disney princess? Ariel?” Poe asked as they slid into a giant, green clamshell. 

“I do love Ariel, despite her teenage brattiness,” Rey laughed, seeming to snuggle into his side a little. Poe, finding himself braver and braver as the day wore on, grabbed her hand, and entangled his fingers with hers. “But I’ve also always loved Belle. And Rapunzel, for the newer princesses. Ariel might win with that hair. And her Part of Your World song. But I identify more with Belle and love her songs too. I don’t know, it’s really a toss-up.”

After their clam passed by Scuttle, it tipped them back as it slowly took them under the sea. Rey took the moment to lay her head on Poe’s shoulder, Poe tilting his own to rest against the top of her head. They came upon Ariel in her treasure-filled grotto, Rey quietly singing her song with her own lovely voice. Coming upon the Kiss the Girl boat scene, Poe couldn’t help but think of Finn as Sebastian sang “looks like the boy’s too shy, ain’t gonna try to kiss the girl.” _Maybe I should try to kiss her?_ he thought. _No, that’s way too cliche to do it to this song. And just because she seems to enjoy holding your hand, does not mean she wants you to kiss her. Rey has always been friendly and affectionate with everyone. Maybe not you, until today. But still._

“Doesn’t she look like a child bride there?” Rey asked as they were nearing the end with the wedding scene.

“Well, she is supposed to only be 16, right?”

“Yes, but right here, she legit looks 10 and playing dress-up in her mom’s very 80’s wedding gown!”

After exiting California Adventure once again, Poe began to pull them towards the ticket booths in the esplanade.

“What’s happening? Aren’t we heading to Indiana Jones?” Rey asked.

“Yup. I just have to do something first.” 

Rey furrowed her eyebrows but continued to let him pull her along. 

“I’d like to purchase an annual pass, please,” Poe asked the cast member when they reached a ticket booth window. Rey’s eyes went wide and she beamed a huge smile at him.

“I’m so excited, Poe!” she exclaimed after the purchase was finished.

“Well, we’ve already made plans for other Disney trips, might as well get the pass,” Poe said as nonchalantly as he could. 

“We can be each other’s go-to Disney date!”

“I like the sound of that.” Poe wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her close against him, her own arm wrapping around his back, as they walked towards the Disneyland entrance.

## Rey

“You know the big boulder scene on the ride where it looks like it’s going to crush you?” Rey asked as they wound through the long queue of Indiana Jones Adventure. Poe gave her a nod. “One year, when we were all kids, I tricked Finn into thinking that it’s real when he finally went on the ride.”

“It worked?”

“It sure did on little 9-year-old Finn. He was too scared to go on it for a year or two, always staying with my mom while I went on it with my dad, then he finally decided he was brave enough. I had him spooked before the ride started, warning him of accidents that happen on it. When the car stalls out on the bridge, he began panicking, thinking another car would crash into us from behind. And later, when the boulder starts rolling towards you, he started yelling, ‘what are we going to do?’ Mom was not happy with me. Dad, on the other hand, was trying not to laugh.”

“You were so mean. But, also, I need to make a mental note of that story so I can make fun of Finn someday,” Poe laughed.

“He did teach me how to get the best FastPasses, though. His little trick of refreshing the list whenever you’re looking for a new one, even if all the passes for a certain ride have been distributed for the day, has just gotten us passes for Radiator Springs Racers at 5:25! Which means we’ll be on the ride during sunset and dusk, the best time to ride it, in my opinion.”

After entering the glittering gold doors of the temple, their vehicle rolled and bumped them along through the ride’s obstacles. They shared a knowing laugh when they came to the big boulder.

“Haunted Mansion? It’s only at twenty minutes and it’s still the Nightmare Before Christmas overlay,” Rey suggested after they got off the ride. 

“Let’s go,” Poe said. Rey slipped her hand into his and they walked off.

_My Disney date_ , she thought affectionately, taking a quick glance at him. _And now I get to come here all the time with him_.

Once they got through the line, down the stretching room, and into a doom buggy, Poe casually placed his arm around her. Rey leaned back and nestled into his side, his arm drawing her closer. Rey took a chance and let her hand rest on his thigh. _Just testing the waters_ , she told herself. The slow-paced dark ride took them through the still-Christmassy ride.

“We have time to do another one before we need to head over to Cars Land,” Rey said as they left the mansion.

“Matterhorn?” Poe suggested.

“Yes, sir,” Rey answered and they started making the trek to the big, snow-covered mountain.

“This ride always beats me up,” he said with a laugh as they waited for their bobsled to pull up.

“And you wanted to go on it?” she asked incredulously.

“Have to. It’s a classic.”

Rey just smiled and shook her head.

The rough ride flung them through the cavernous mountain and by the abominable snowman. Once off the ride, Poe shook out his knees and gave them a little rub.

“Come on, old man, let’s head to Cars Land,” Rey teased.

She knew she had quite a few messages on her phone she hadn’t gotten back to. Namely from Rose, Jannah, and Finn and all specifically about what the hell was going on between her and Poe. Too content on just being in the moment in her favorite place with him, she decided to wait to answer their messages until after the day was over. 

“They did a really good job with this area, it feels like you’re in the movie,” Poe commented as they walked through the well-designed Cars Land. The sun was setting to their right, giving off a pretty glow.

After scanning in their passes, they breezed through their designated lane and were eventually placed into a candy apple red car. The slowly darkening sky made the relaxing drive through Ornament Valley even more beautiful. Taking a trip through Radiator Springs, the town’s residents popped up here and there. Their race with the blue car next to them ended in a loss. “Son of a bitch,” Rey muttered as the blue car pulled away right before the finish line. Poe laughed at her competitiveness. 

“Anything else here in California Adventure we still need to go on?” Poe asked, taking her hand as they came back out to the street of Cars Land.

“Um. There’s Monsters Inc. and a couple of smaller rides. I’d say we just head back to Disneyland.” 

“Alrighty. What about our next FastPass?”

“Big Thunder at 7:55?”

“Absolutely.”

“Let’s head to Fantasyland. We haven’t done any of the rides there yet.” They began the trek back to the older theme park. Rey snuck a look at Poe, she could see the tiredness showing in his eyes. “You know, we could go home,” Rey offered, feeling bad.

“No, no, no, I’m in this for the long haul,” Poe responded decidedly.

“You’re not just saying that to keep me happy, though, right? I don’t want to be the only reason why you’re still puttering around when you desperately just want to sleep.”

“Geez, how old do you think I am?” he laughed, giving her a playfully scornful look. “And I’m having fun, I want to be here still.”

“Okay, how about we leave right after the fireworks? And if you feel like you’re going to crash and burn before that, you have to tell me and we leave.”

“Deal.”

After taking a selfie in front of the magical glowing castle, their cheeks pressed together, they entered Fantasyland. 

“I’ll never understand why there’s always such a long wait for this ride. It never fails,” Rey remarked as they joined the forty-minute queue for Peter Pan’s Flight. To waste time, Rey opened up her Heads Up app. Poe only agreed to play if Rey didn’t get to guess anything Disney related. Instead, he gave her clues for blockbuster movies, animals, and sports while she hinted at food, Disney characters, and superstars for him. The more they played, the louder they would get, having to tone it down every now and then and do their best not to curse in front of the surrounding children. Which is what usually happened at Solo game nights.

“I won! Again!” Rey laughed, taunting him.

“I’m convinced it’s because you’ve played the game so much that you just know the answers.”

“Whatever makes you feel less like a loser,” she said with a cheeky smile.

Poe’s jaw dropped at her remark. “Get over here,” he laughed, pulling her against him and tickling her sides.

“I take it back!” Rey managed to get out, huddling into his chest, and laughing uncontrollably. Poe stopped his tickling fingers and just wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest. Rey closed her eyes and nuzzled her face into his neck. Whenever the line moved, Poe would walk them forward. Having to separate to get into their little pirate ship, they resumed cuddling as it flew them through the Darlings’ bedroom, over London, and off to Neverland.

Hopping to the building next door, they joined the much shorter line for Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.

Getting behind the wheel of the motorcar, Poe took the wheel. “Where to, my lady?”

“To the stars,” Rey said dreamily.

“Did - did you just quote Titanic? More specifically, quoted Titanic’s sex scene on a kid’s ride in Fantasyland?” Poe laughed.

“Maybe,” she answered before their motorcar began to whip them through each scene of the ride.

Upon their exit from Mr. Toad’s, Rey dragged him over to Dumbo. Using the joystick, she flew them up and down as the ride circled around and around. Poe took a picture of her from the side, hands on the joystick, an innocent smile on her face, and hair blowing around from the crisp night air.

Next up was the nearby Mad Tea Party. “We have to grab that lavender-colored teacup over there,” Rey said, pointing at one of the purple, spinning cups as they waited for their turn. “It’s the fastest spinning one.”

“Really?”

“Well, supposedly, it’s a myth. But whenever I come here with the Finn, we _always_ try to get that one. We still believe it.”

As soon as the gate was opened, Poe ran to the designated cup on the farther end of the party, beating out other riders. He smiled proudly at Rey.

“My hero,” she laughed, sliding in and placing her lips on his cheek. His proud smile didn’t fade away at that. Using his rather beautiful arm muscles, Poe spun them around as fast as he could. Rey helped in the beginning but then tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and giggled uncontrollably.

Going next door to Alice in Wonderland, they enjoyed the slow-winding ride snuggled together in the back row of a pink caterpillar.

By the time they were through with Alice, their Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FastPasses had come up, the last ride of their day. Skipping a big chunk of the long line, they stood on the stairs that led to the loading area. Rey glanced behind her at Poe as he stood a little lower on the steps, swearing she just saw his eyes on her rear. _Is Poe Dameron checking out my ass?_ she smiled to herself and continued up the stairs as the line moved.

The ride was beautiful at night, the rocks and peaks lit up in colorful lights. Luckily, they again scored the back row, where Rey thought the ride felt fastest. She threw her hands up in the air as the speed picked up, however, out of habit, she’d pull her arms down and slightly duck her head every time they dipped into a cave.

“Are you ducking?” Poe laughed as the ride slowly took them up a steep climb.

“It feels like my hands and head are going to get chopped off, the ceilings feel so low! In my mind, I know it’s not going to happen, but I still can’t help it!”

Thankfully, the thrill ride woke them up a little, and they were ready to wait for the fireworks show.

“You’ve gotta be hungry by now,” Rey said.

“I can definitely eat something, but not anything too big. More like a good-sized snack,” Poe said, wrapping his arm around her again.

“May I suggest their classic corn dog then?”

“That does sound good. Is that what you want?”

“I’m still not terribly hungry. I think I’m just gonna order a Dole Whip and grab it while we make our way over to the corn dog cart.” She whipped out her phone to put in the mobile order, ignoring the texts from Rose, begging to know if something happened between her and Poe. 

Swinging by the Tiki Juice Bar, she picked up her refreshing treat.

“You’re not cold eating that?” Poe asked as they got in the corn dog line.

“Nope, I actually like eating ice cream when it’s cold out. Would you like a bite?”

“Sure.” 

Rey slid a spoonful into his mouth. _I wish I was that spoon_ , she thought as she hypnotically watched. _Alright, you’re definitely tired_. Finding a small table nearby, they finished up their snacks.

## Poe

“Shall we shop for Paige while we wait for the fireworks? That way, we can be completely done once the show ends,” Rey proposed

“Good idea. Let’s do that.”

They stood in front of the stuffed animal section, taking in their many options. “Do we stay on our theme of Star Wars?” Rey asked, picking up a stuffed porg. “Or do we go classic, like Mickey or Minnie?”

“Hmmm. That’s difficult. I want to get her into Star Wars, but it’s a little early, she’s barely one, she’s not going to understand yet. So maybe something more Disney classic.” Poe looked around at the selection and remembered how the toddler always lit up with excitement when she was around Poe’s dog Bebe. “She does like dogs.”

“Pluto?”

“Classic character and a dog. Pluto it is,” Poe said, picking up the cute stuffed animal.

“Yay! Okay, now let’s find some pins. I’m dragging you into my new tradition. We’ll each pick a pin whenever we come here,” Rey said as she pulled Poe through the store towards the trading pin section.

_She wants me in on her tradition? That’s definitely a good sign,_ Poe thought, smiling. “Wow, how am I supposed to choose from all of these?”

“We came here specifically for Rise of the Resistance today, so let’s stick with the theme of Star Wars.” She picked up a cartoonish looking Stormtrooper, the end of his blaster carrying a sign saying ‘pew, pew.’ “I need this one, it’s stinkin’ adorable.”

Poe scanned the displays filled with pins. He picked out an orange and black one, the Rebel Alliance symbol in the middle and ‘Rise of the Resistance’ written around it. “I found it. Straight to the point,” Poe nodded. Before he turned back to Rey, something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

“I’ll hold on to it. I’m going to run to the clothing section really quick, I’ve been meaning to find a cute new Minnie shirt.”

“Okay, I’ll catch up with you in a minute. I’m just going to give the pins another look through to make sure I got the best one.” As soon as she was out of sight, Poe bent down to one of the lower rows of pins. The one that caught his eye was from the Lava Pixar short. It showed the two volcanoes holding each other with ‘I Lava You” written on the bottom. As quick as he could, he grabbed it and went to the cashier, purchasing the pin and Pluto before Rey found him. Once the transaction was complete, he slid the pin and receipt into his pocket, carrying the bag with Pluto inside.

“I’m not feeling their selection today,” Rey said, wandering back to him as he came to find her. “Find a different pin?”

“Nope, I’m happy with that one.”

“Good. Let me go pay for them now, then we can find a spot for the fireworks.”

“No, let me, Rey,” Poe said, offering to take them.

“Absolutely not. You paid for all of our meals today, let me at least do this for you. Plus, I’m the one that’s dragging you into this new tradition.”

“Technically, you’re not ‘dragging’ me into it, I really like the idea.”

“Good, because I plan to keep this going for many years to come.”

Dropping the newly purchased Star Wars pins into the bag with Pluto, they made their way back out to Main Street and the hub, jampacked with guests waiting for the show.

Finally, at 9:30, the music started playing, graphics flashing on the castle. The music was quite annoying in Poe’s opinion, taking classic Disney songs and putting them to a dance beat with Mickey as the DJ, but at least the fireworks were excellent. 

He tried paying more attention to the bright and colorful show in front of him. But he often found himself turning his gaze upon Rey, huddled under his arm next to him. A flash of red from a sparkling firework lit up her face. He tried to tell himself to turn away, to not be so obvious, but he didn’t care anymore. He wanted her to know how he felt about her. He didn’t want to continue hiding it, although he wasn’t doing a great job of hiding it with all the hand-holding and snuggling they were doing. Something in him told him he wasn’t alone in his feelings.

Sensing his gaze, Rey turned her head towards him. Her beautiful eyes reflected the sparks in the sky. Her smile was small and shy but knowing. Her eyes drank in his until they traveled down to his lips and back to his eyes again. Poe knew what he had to do. He knew it was one of the most cliche things in the world to do it here, in front of the castle, under the fireworks, but that didn’t matter in the slightest. His thumb gently brushed against her cheek as his hand slid through her silky hair behind her ear. Cradling her head in his rough palm, Poe’s lips met Rey’s. Their kiss was sweet and unhurried. Her hands wrapped around his back, pressing him closer against her. So lost in her kiss, Poe couldn’t even register the show’s finale, the fireworks rapidly bursting in the sky in quick succession. It wasn’t until the show was over, and parkgoers starting to disperse in every direction, that they reluctantly pulled away. Poe breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ve been waiting for that all day,” Rey whispered and smiled. “Let’s go home.”

The drive back to Rey’s house was thankfully short. As soon as they had walked out of the park, the exhaustion hit them. Even though Poe insisted she could sleep on the ride home, Rey swore she’d stay awake with him as he drove, but she promptly passed out before they even made it to the freeway. _Do I go home after we get to her house? Do I stay over? Does she want me to stay over? Does she think I expect something from her?_ Poe worried as he drove them along. He wanted to stay over, of course, and he’d love to hold her through the night. But he’d leave that totally up to her. “We’re here, Rey,” Poe whispered, rubbing his thumb along her arm. She stirred awake and smiled at him. They got out of the car and entered the house. Climbing the stairs, Poe was unsure what to do again. _She hasn’t said anything, should I start packing up my things?_

“It’s been a very long day. You should stay here tonight,” Rey suggested with a yawn when they reached the landing.

_Thank God_. “I would love that, if you would like me to.”

“I would like you to,” Rey nearly whispered as she stood in her bedroom’s doorway.

“Then I would love to,” Poe whispered. Rey jerked her head back towards the interior of her room and held her hand out. He took it, of course, and followed her in.

Tired, lazy kisses carried them off to sleep. Poe held her in his arms, their bodies fitting together like puzzle pieces. 

## Epilogue

A couple of years later, on a sunny spring day, the whole Solo family took a trip to the Disneyland Resort. Just before sunset (the golden hour for pictures, as Rose would inform him as he planned this), the family “randomly” found themselves back in the main hub area by the castle. Coming upon the spot where they had their first kiss, their first magic moment, Poe got down on one knee and proposed to the love of his life in front of her family. He knew proposing here, by the castle, was just as cliche as their first kiss under the fireworks. None of that mattered. This was the spot where he knew for sure that she was the one.

Rey’s answer was an astounding yes, tears streaming from her eyes. She pulled him back up to his feet and nearly knocked him over with her kiss. When they finally separated, Poe pulled the pin from his pocket and offered it to her.

“I lava you,” she read. “You remembered I love that song?”

“I bought this on our first date here, knowing I would give it to you someday.”

Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. She sighed at her fiance’s romanticness. And then her lips found his again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Magic Moment by Lake Street Drive (originally sung by The Drifters)
> 
> This magic moment / So different and so new / Was like any other / Until I kissed you
> 
> And then it happened / It took me by surprise / I knew that you felt it too / By the look in your eyes
> 
> Sweeter than wine / Softer than a summer night / Everything I want I have / Whenever I hold you tight
> 
> This magic moment / While your lips are close to mine / Will last forever / Forever, till the end of time
> 
> Sweeter than wine / Softer than a summer night / Everything I want to have / Whenever I hold you tight
> 
> This magic moment / While your lips are close to mine / Will last forever / Forever, till the end of time
> 
> (I do not own these characters, lyrics, or images)


End file.
